Musings of one who helps others learn, and in the process, learns himself. AKA turning on light bulbs. Explores his transition from software engineer, to professor, to illuminator of the world.
I previously wrote about thecreative ways learners in my spring 2020, fall 2020, spring and fall 2021, spring 2022, and
summer/fall 2022 and spring 2023 Honors College courses (HONR 296. now HONR 176) exhibited and
documented their knowledge and understanding of the course's material. The
course title is "Computer Science and Algorithms to Live By." The course final
project, in summary, was to create a tangible artifact that recorded their
responses to the course’s essential questions, as it related to their chosen
major(s) and/or minor(s). In this post, I am showcasing the creativity of
nineteen summer 2023, fall 2023, and spring 2024 learners who were willing for me
to share their work.
I encourage you to read to the end of this post and click on all the
thumbnail images and links to experience the full breadth of how these
students understood computer science and algorithms to impact their current
and future lives. In the interest of brevity, I have not provided any commentary about them,
but rather have provided a brief description and an image or link for you to
investigate further. They are listed in random order.
Evan Davis, being an architecture major, created a physical model to connect the ideas of this course to what he learned throughout his first-year studio. This is an example of a study model, which is a 3-D model made using simple materials to help visualize a more complicated idea. Through turning the antenna coming out the top of the computer, the words on the screen shift, revealing answers to all the course's essential questions.
Mang Lian
created a slide show that connected architecture to algorithms. It helped him
understand what a computer is and how you can see it through architecture as
well.
Margaret Manning created a slide show that presented an algorithm of
swallowing, and explained how algorithms and computers are related to the job
of a speech-language pathologist.
Jenna Mathes
created an algorithm that describes the steps needed to diagnose and treat an
articulation disorder in a child. This is an extremely long process, but by
breaking it down into a multi-step algorithm, she hopes to have simplified it,
making it more digestible.
Clara Daugherty created a drawing that was meant to tie in many
aspects talked about in class. As a hospitality major, she found it a little
difficult but if you sit and look at it long enough, all questions of the
course essential questions will be answered.
Abigail Denault, being a journalism major, responded to the course's
essential questions in the format of a 12-page booklet, complete with a table
of contents and cover.
Amelia Dorsey recorded a video
answering questions about how algorithms are related to our lives.
Eli Germain created
an infographic
that describes ways in which algorithmic thinking can be applied to the
strategies of modern board games. It describes four strategies based on
algorithms and applies their structures to two popular board games--Catan and
Ticket to Ride.
Sarah Olsen
wrote a
magazine article. In it she stated "Though simple in theory, algorithms and the computers
that use them are often far from basic, and while many algorithms are
observable in nature, many more are manufactured by humans in order to
solve a specific problem."
Megan Pax
created a set of art activity and project lesson plans designed for the
middle school level that are based on the course's essential question. All
components of lesson plans are included, such as objectives, standards,
sequences, materials, references, and assessments.
Keegan Fontaine created a
brief podcast
in which three students discuss the course's essential questions, and how
their lives relate to them.
Afton Vanek
researched how algorithms will impact the future of art museums,
especially with the popularity of artificial intelligence in the 21st
century, and presented her responses in the format of
an infographic.
Maurianna Manuel created a presentation that compared the
widespread use of computer technology to the growing field of nursing and
how the two work harmoniously together.
Mar Nester created
this video
as a crash-course about all of the topics we covered in this course.
Grace Provenzano explored the application of algorithms, math,
and technology in an abstract and artistic manner in this video. Using the natural world as inspiration, it analyzes the impact
increasing technological advances have made on our daily lives and
environment.
Lindsey Thole
applied an algorithmic approach to architectural design consisting of a
repeating process of extrusion and subdivision.
Brooke Williams
drew this picture of a brain, stating that a "brain is a computer that
all of us have inside of us."
Lucas Moody created a remake of a song called "Can’t Stop Partying" by Weezer ft. Lil Wayne. It wraps up everything that he learned in the course through the lyrics.
Feona Dabson found it amazing and relaxing to make a song. In the lyrics, she highlights the way algorithms occur outside of the electronic world. The need to be efficient, limitations of memory, benefits of relaxation, strategic efforts, emotional side to our actions, all that jazz. She took this class and put it into a funky tune, stating that "her lyric video is very rudimentary and made to foster laughter."
So, there you have it. nineteen different responses to the same prompt.
Leaving an assignment open (as opposed to strictly defined) provides the
learner an opportunity to explore their passions, and thus they are
likely to engage with the assignment more fully. It also makes the
evaluation of the assignment a lot more interesting, since the
submissions are not cookie cutters of each other, and I often learn
something new as well. Learner-centered teaching for the win.
What interesting assignments have you had? Describe it in a comment
below.
Image credits: All images and other media were provided by their creators.
I’ve been doing my best to be reasonably knowledgeable and aware of all things related to disability and accessibility—especially as it relates to teaching and learning—for well over a decade. I’ve availed myself of many workshops and training events offered by Ball State University (my employer) over the years and have served as a Disability Services Faculty Mentor for the last few years. As such, when a message arrived in my email inbox that a Disability & Accessibility Faculty Learning Community (FLC) was going to be held during academic year 2023-2024, my initial reaction was one of discounting it, thinking I likely was already familiar with what would be discussed.
However, after a bit of reflection, I decided to participate in the FLC based on the premise that there is always something to be learned. I also realized there were likely concepts and ideas that I’d once learned, not used, and subsequently forgotten. Having a “refresher course” didn’t seem like a bad thing to do. I also figured hanging around a bunch of like-minded folks could be interesting. And so, I signed up.
It turns out I was right about learning new things. The very first week the FLC met, I was confronted with the fact that there were protests half a century ago in support of making all things accessible to all people of which I was totally unaware. It turns out my knowledge of the “disability movement” was totally lacking. These protests and sit-ins eventually led to the signing of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
During week two, we explored the disability laws, specifically as they apply to higher education, and week three we explored student and parent expectations about disability services in higher education, and how they might be different than they were used to in high school. This was a good review for me, with a few new insights along the way.
Later weeks found us exploring a myriad of other topics, including implementing accommodations, things that can go wrong, how to make course content accessible, and physical aids and resources that are used by students, among many other topics. Again, I knew (or had known) about most all of this, but it was good to be reminded. Our visit to the Accessible Technology Lab was particularly interesting. To see and hear about the actual technology was impactful.
So, am I leaving the FLC with any significant new knowledge, understanding, or a change of mind or attitude? No, not really. Very little of the content presented during the FLC was new to me. However, it was very good to hear it again and be reminded of what I need to, and can do for learners. Perhaps I'm leaving with a renewed desire to do all I can to help everyone.
One last observation I’ll make is that it is good to have a second person from the CS department who also participated in the FLC. Not to suggest that other faculty in the department aren’t interested in the services/accommodations we could/should provide to our learners, but it is not necessarily a priority for them—at least not enough of one for them to attend training events. To have another department faculty member participate with me means I’m not alone; there are (at least) two of us who are interested enough to put in a bit of extra effort. Perhaps the two of us can start a mini revolution within the department. Stay tuned!
P.S. Since you’ve read to the end, here’s a little treat. For a (slightly irreverent, but largely accurate) video about the “disability movement,” watch this short Comedy Central Drunk History video about how Judy Heumann fought for people with disabilities. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, and if you are, I'm sorry I suggested it.
In preparation for a Community of Practice meeting about active learning,
our facilitator asked us to read Dr. Dunja Trunk's
Faculty Focus
post entitled "A Recipe for Student Success." In it, they describe five ingredients needed for learner success, and
provide details and examples for each of the five. (I encourage you to take
a few brief minutes to read their worthwhile post, if you've not already
done so.) The five ingredients are the following.
Clear goals and objectives
Develop effective study habits
Establish effective communication channels
Take care of physical and mental well-being
Embrace continuous learning and growth mindset
This got me thinking
I fully support this list and have nothing to add to it, other than an an
obvious addition—acquire domain knowledge and understanding. The post did
get me thinking, however.
To what extent are we teachers/mentors responsible for enabling a learner
to utilize these ingredients? Our response to this question likely
determines how we teach.
In particular, should we...
Assume the learners know about the ingredients and how to use
them?
Tell the learners about the ingredients and how to use them?
Give the ingredients to the learners?
Show the learners how to use the ingredients?
Have the learners use the ingredients?
I'll be developing my response to my questions for the rest of this post. I
invite you along for the journey, and will be curious to see if you follow
me, or take a different path.
Preparing a meal
If we use an analogy of preparing a meal, it seems to me that an individual
is not likely to be (consistently) successful simply by reading and
following a recipe, unless they have a lot of past experience doing so. So
if our learners have little experience or knowledge, we best avoid assuming
they know what's needed for the meal. Further, we can't simply tell them the
ingredients they need, as they may not know where to acquire the needed
ingredients. Also, telling someone how to put icing on a cake is not likely
to lead to success for them the first time. It takes practice;
sometimes lots of practice.
So, perhaps we need to be giving our learners the ingredients, and showing
how to use them. How much garlic is enough, but not too much? Does the water
need to be cold or warm when we add it to the other ingredients? What part
of the meal should we start preparing first, if we want everything ready at
(roughly) the same time? Preparing a meal is not easy. Getting it right the
first time is quite a challenge. Learning is not easy either, nor is getting
it right the first time.
But, simply giving our learners the ingredients and showing them what to do
with them still doesn't seem like enough. We need them to actually try (and
likely fail) to make the meal themselves. It is in the doing (and failing)
that learning happens. The more we do, the more practice we have, the better
we get.
But, what about chefs?
But, what if we have a learner who is very experienced, and has a broad
understanding of the material? I think I still arrive at the same point as I
did before. However, I won't be explaining and demonstrating near as much,
and certainly would not expect to be discussing or showing foundational
ideas and skills. If I'm working with a "chef" to prepare a meal, it is
going to be more of a collaboration—the two of us will be sharing ideas and
questioning each other. But there will still likely be some advanced
knowledge or skills that they do not yet have, and need to observe and
practice. And yes, I'll likely learn something from them as well during that
collaboration.
My teaching
How does all this impact how I teach and mentor? I've posted about how I
teach a few times, here
and
here, for example. I strive to develop and repeatedly present clear course
goals and objectives to the learners. I provide opportunities for them to
develop effective study habits. I do my best to have clear and consistent
communication with the learners, and encourage them to do so, as well. I
consider the individual learner when making decisions, and I am constantly
promoting a growth mindset and reminding the learners that making mistakes
is fine, as long as we learn from them.
My teaching heavily utilizes the following.
Active learning
Flipped learning
In-class demonstrations and activities
Small group discussions
Class discussions
In- and out-of-class group work
Learner-centered focus
Specifications grading, and sometimes ungrading
Flexible due dates, based on circumstances
Very little lecturing
I strive to provide a learning environment focused on the learner, not me. I
strive to be aware of what the learners do and do not know, and meet them
where they are. Sometimes I'm able to accomplish this in class, and
sometimes it is accomplished in one-to-one sessions in my office or via
Zoom. When teaching higher-level courses, I do expect the learners have more
experience, but I try not to assume it. That is, I strive to verify what
experience they are bringing to the course.
I strive to always provide examples of, and opportunities for the learners
to practice, the five ingredients needed for learner success that Dr. Dunja
Trunk described in their post.
Your teaching?
How do my thoughts and approach to teaching/mentoring match up with yours?
What can we learn from each other? Please share your thoughts and ideas so
that I (and other readers) can benefit from them. I look forward to it, as I
continue to learn how to treach.
The towel was a gift from a student. I take it on all my
trips now.
I’ve previously written about the
empathy I’ve gained while traveling. In that post, I asked if you remember what it was like to first learn the
body of knowledge which ultimately became your profession. I observed that
much of the initial content we learned is second nature to us now. We don’t
even think about the fact that there was a time when we didn’t know it, and we
may have even forgotten how much we struggled to learn that which seems
trivial to us now.
I’ve again had an experience that reminded me of the challenges that occur
when facing something completely new. As a result, I’ve come to believe that
every teacher needs to periodically have a similar experience. Beyond the
learning that will occur, it will remind them what it’s like to learn, and
make them better teachers. Stay with me for a few minutes, and I’ll explain.
As I write this post, I’m mid-way through an eight-hour airplane flight from
Berlin, Germany, to New York, New York. My wife and I are at the end of a
nearly three-week vacation in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Germany. We’ve
previously traveled internationally a few times, but, except for one trip, our
destination has been to England, Scotland, and Ireland—all countries where
English is very prevalent. English was still fairly common this trip as well,
primarily due to us being in tourist areas. None-the-less, we still
experienced many challenges.
Our experiences
Visiting these countries meant that we were met with many different languages,
and we don’t speak or read any of them. We experienced many different customs
as we moved from one country to another. Each country had their own currency,
and varying exchange rates with the US dollar. (To make things a bit more
confusing, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden all call their currency by the same
name, but they are each a unique currency.) Also, living in Muncie, Indiana,
and having our own cars, we are not accustomed to traveling by busses and
trains. We found that the transportation schedule tables were very confusing
and difficult to understand.
Our feelings
As a result of these experiences, we often felt confused, frustrated,
isolated, and occasionally, helpless. Not being able to read or communicate
with others presented a significant challenge at times. We had to resort to
non-verbal approaches. Not knowing local customs, currency, or how to read
transportation schedules meant we had to ask questions. But who do you ask,
and what do you ask? If you’re an introvert, or like being self-sufficient,
reaching out to others can be a real challenge. And it can feel like you’re
bothering others when you ask for help to do something that you “should” be
able to do on your own—at least you could if you were back home. We must have
looked as confused as we were at times, as locals often asked if we needed
help.
Look for the helpers
Fortunately, a variety of things helped us work through the challenges and to
enjoy our trip. We found resources, both technological and human. Translator
programs were a great help for understanding individual words or short
phrases. Most local people with whom we interacted were (at least) bi-lingual
and seemed accustomed to communicating with us foreigners. Utilizing online
maps and directions was a tremendous help. We sometimes had a local guide
which was great, in that they could provide “color commentary” that we likely
would have otherwise missed. They also were familiar with transportation
schedules and venues and helped us experience the most we could in a fixed
amount of time.
Aside from those specifics, we found other factors helpful. Consistency and
structure were a tremendous help. Once we learned one thing, we could often
apply that knowledge to something else that was similar, quickly furthering
our learning. And most of all, it simply took patience, practice, time, and a
willingness to learn.
Our learners in a “foreign” land
How similar were my recent challenges to those that our learners
experience—especially our first-time learners? Students are arriving on
campuses as I write this or will be soon. The experiences of those attending
college for the first time may be very similar to what I experienced. They
must learn to navigate new environments, cultures, expectations, and new-found
freedoms. They will discover that earning in college is likely different than
high school. Professors may teach in different ways and have different
expectations. They will need to reach out for help from their peers and
professors.
We can help!
Our learners need help navigating these challenges. We can provide consistency
and structure in our courses. We can clearly communicate our expectations. We
can be open and approachable so they will feel comfortable asking us for help.
We can provide learning opportunities that build on their prior experiences so
they have something to which they can relate it. We can reach out to them and
offer help.
I needed to struggle!
I already knew this. There is nothing new here; I’ve learned it before. But
after a few semesters I started to forget. I needed this vacation to remind
me, yet again, what it is like to be a learner—especially a new one. I needed
to struggle to understand the language, the schedules, everything. This will
make me a better teacher in a few weeks.
What about you?
I firmly believe that all teachers should periodically experience a
significant new challenge. Travel to a new country where a language is spoken
that you do not know. Learn a new language. Learn a new skill that is unlike
anything you already know how to do. Push yourself and expand your horizon.
What will you do to become a better teacher?
The following is the text of the commencement address I delivered on July 22, 2023, at the 196th Ball State University Commencement.
Find your calling, or at least, let it find you
Thank you, President Mearns. It is a bit intimidating for me to stand before you this morning and have all of you—well, some of you—listening to what I have to say. I’m accustomed to being in a classroom where I have 20 to 30 learners, not an arena full of university trustees, President, Provost, college deans, faculty, graduates, and their family and friends. And even in the classroom, I seldom lecture, preferring to use flipped learning and lead discussions. Nonetheless, I am humbled to be here this morning.
So, having no idea what I should talk about, I turned to the Internet. I asked Twitter for wrong answers only, what I should talk about. My two favorites were these:
“Go make lots of money and donate to the university. You owe us for your success.”
And the other one, which perhaps will come true. We’ll see.
“Graduation speeches are given because of the belief that students must be properly sedated before being sending on their way.”
You can let me know how I did at the end. Neither one of those seemed like good paths to follow. So instead, I have two stories to tell you this morning. To start, I’ll read the first few lines of a story written by Theodor Seuss Geisel, more commonly known as Dr. Seuss. These words come from his book titled “Oh, the places you’ll go!”
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
His story then goes on to describe times when things don’t go the way you expect or want. It is during those times you need to push forward and believe in yourself. Here’s another story of an individual that fits well with Dr. Suess’ story and has Ball State connections.
Once upon a time in 1957—way back last century!, a child was born in Muncie and was raised by a loving family that had enough money to live, but not any extra. Both of his parents were first-generation college students, who graduated from Ball State. After graduation, his father worked for the Boy Scouts, and his mother initially worked in clerical accounting roles, and later, spent six years attending seminary part time, while she continued to work. She’s served in a various ministerial roles since.
While he was in first grade, the family moved to Kokomo, and three years later, moved to the western suburbs of Chicago. He graduated from high school in 1975, taking the usual compliment of academic courses and played clarinet in the band. One course worth mentioning here: Computer Programming.
He attended Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana (at that time it was Manchester College) with no major in mind, but ultimately chose Social Work, after a few semesters. Because he enjoyed it in high school, he kept taking the occasional computer class to fill out his course schedule. He graduated in the spring of 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in social work, and an associate’s degree in computer applications.
Soon after graduation, the opportunity presented itself to interview for a computer programming position, and he started his first professional job on July 1, back here in Muncie. While working, he experienced transitions from punched cards, to computer terminals, to PCs, to networks, and ultimately, the web. He enjoyed his employment with that company for 28 years, starting as a computer programmer, and leaving as the Information Services Manager. However, his departure was not voluntary, but rather was due to his position being abruptly and unexpectedly eliminated in October 2007.
Storm clouds often arrive and darken the landscape. Some pass through quickly, while others seem to linger forever. Rather than focusing on the darkness, the old adage goes, you should look for the silver lining. After a few months of job and soul searching, he decided to go back to school. In January 2008, he started work on a Computer Science master’s degree—at the age of 50!
God was watching over him, as within a week's time, he applied to graduate school, was admitted, and was offered a graduate assistantship that provided tuition remission and a modest stipend—both of which were direly needed. He was definitely the oldest learner in his classes, and often, older than his professors. He hoped to make himself more employable and find a job after graduation.
Having worked in industry for nearly three decades meant that, although he had continued to learn, the current state of computer science had moved quicker than he had. He discovered that they were using computer programming languages that didn't even exist when he graduated in 1979.
Midway through his graduate coursework, he came to realize that he enjoyed teaching. Some of his professors noticed that. As he was completing his master’s degree in the spring of 2010, the opportunity to interview for a full-time college teaching position presented itself. Despite his enjoyment of working in industry, he found teaching even more enjoyable.
Oh, the places he’d go! Because of his new path, he has traveled to Denmark, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and a variety of US cities. He has presented papers internationally and locally. He has published in journals and books.
But one of the biggest journeys on which he embarked, and the one which has brought him the most joy and fulfilment, is having the privilege of helping thousands of learners further their knowledge and understanding of computer science, themselves, and the world.
I think he found the silver lining.
He has not been on this journey alone, however. He had the support of family and other faculty. He constantly availed himself of new learning opportunities, whether that was formal training, or simple conversations. He learned along the way to carefully choose what you do and who you do it with. You’ll never do much better than those around you. He thinks it’s better to be a humble second fiddle player, because that means you have something to strive for and pushes you to be better.
He also learned to carefully choose his words. As a result of a sarcastic social media post he made on January 1, 2022, about having walked every day that year, he has, in fact, walked at least 20 minutes—usually much more—every day since. Yesterday was day number 567 in a row, and he’s walked over 3400 miles in that time. That’s roughly equivalent to walking from Miami, Florida to Seattle, Washington. Repeatedly doing something turned into a habit.
Due to the efforts of many very supportive people with whom he worked, he has been nominated for and received a variety of awards and recognitions over the years, one recent being the Ball State University Outstanding Faculty Award. What he did not know, until after receiving the award last fall, was that the recipient of that award is traditionally the speaker at the next summer commencement.
Yes, this story has been about me, in case it was not obvious. You’ve been listening to me tell stories for the last few minutes because others believed in me and supported me. I firmly believe there are many other professors who are just as deserving, and perhaps more so than I, they just need to be nominated.
OK students, if you’ve not been taking notes, now’s the time to get out the pencil and paper. Here are the six take-aways from my story:
Look for the silver linings and be ready to act.
Be willing to change course if your current circumstances are not fulfilling. You’ll never see new landscapes if you travel the same road all the time.
Be present and attentive, and things tend to work out. Be someone you are not, and you’ll miss out on the full expression of yourself.
Be supportive of those around you.
Find your calling, or at least, let it find you. Become good at it.
Be humble.
And now, I’ll close with the end of Dr. Seuss’ story that I opened with.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So... get on your way!
And, with apologies to Dr. Seuss, I add a few lines of my own:
Set a course for yourself on old and new roads,
And life will take you to places untold.
Watch for the linings of silver in clouds,
And opportunities don’t miss because you’re too proud.
And never forget to be dexterous and clever
Because Cardinals Fly in every endeavor.
Be humble and supportive of those around you,
And find your calling—or at least, let it find you!
Cardinals, it is time to fly!
Video of my address
If you'd like to watch a video of my address, here you go!
I previously wrote about thecreative ways learners in my spring 2020, fall 2020, spring and fall 2021 and spring 2022 Honors College courses (HONR 296) exhibited and documented their knowledge and understanding of the course's material. The course title is "Computer Science and Algorithms to Live By." The course final project, in summary, was to create a tangible artifact that recorded their responses to the course’s essential questions, as it related to their chosen major(s) and/or minor(s). In this post, I am showcasing the creativity of nineteen summer 2022, fall 2022, and spring 2023 learners who were willing for me to share their work.
I encourage you to read to the end of this post and click on all the images and links to experience the full breadth of how these students understood computer science and algorithms to impact their current and future lives. In the interest of brevity, I have not provided any commentary about them, but rather have provided a brief description and an image or link for you to investigate further. They are listed in random order.
Samuel Willey connected the course content to his sales major by creating a fictitious company that sells algorithms as a service. He created a commercial that explains why you need to buy algorithms and how useful they are.
Ozzie Kazarian wrote a "choose your own adventure" style click and read story. It attempts to answer course essential questions like "what is a computer" through a sci-fi inspired narrator. It's fairly short to play through; check it out.
Jackson Ketcham created a video that connects the two worlds of computer science and algorithms with the medical field. While using algorithmic analogies, he breaks down the function of medicines (such as antibiotics) and how algorithms will impact the future of medicine. He also uses ASL in the video with drawings to simulate an effective teaching and communicative method of talking with a deaf patient in a hospital.
Jess Melvin combined her anthropology knowledge and fashion skills, to create a "styling bible"—a guidebook for styling gigs—for a fictional client based on the course content. She answered the essential questions abstractly through moodboards and outfit plans and more concretely through text within the guidebook.
Jada Cooper created a group of lessons orchestrated for sixth graders to be introduced to computer science and begin analyzing the importance of these technologies in the world today. The lessons begin with students being given general information and having the freedom to explore more on their own, before wrapping up with a Socratic seminar that dives deeper into these topics and makes connections to our own lives.
Fortune Anjorin created an infographic that explains how technology improves nursing care, as well as the technologies that will be used in the future. She gave examples of the technologies we see nurses use daily at the hospital and did some research on some newly developed robots that will be used in the future.
Liz Davis answered the course's essential questions, and then translated her responses into French, utilizing knowledge from her major. She also delivered her class presentation in French.
Delaney Fritch combined their Political Science and History majors to create an oral history. They interviewed themself, asking the course’s essential questions, and then formally wrote it up as a (fictitious) oral history for the BSU archives.
Joseph Gassensmith created a presentation wherein he explored the course's essential questions as they relate to the practice of law.
Ainsley Hall "rebranded" the course. As the class did a deep dive into algorithms and how they are used in our daily life—especially in the case of social media usage and artificial intelligence—her project focused on introducing and bringing interest to ideas within the course. This rebranding involved creating media pieces (a video, a logo, and social media mockups) and integrating AI speech technology guided by a human-written script to show how newer technologies can be used to assist rather than replace.
Gabrielle Heiser created a collage that focused on algorithmic bias in healthcare, along with providing responses to how the course's essential question related to nursing.
Kade Wereley-Bross created a visual representation of Broadway attendance numbers throughout the last four decades, in the form of a blanket, based on the classic temperature blanket style yarn project. The colors reflect ranges of attendance numbers. They also provided a document describing how this is related to the course's essential questions.
Dylan Kedra used social work skills to write up a set of patient notes, where a computer was the patient. A representative quote from the notes: "Capability of immense change in the world due to their calculating and intelligent thought processes. While also mentioning their ability to fit into and improve almost every situation when there are clear boundaries set."
Gavin Neal designed a computer slide puzzle game that, once solved, would provide the answers to the course essential questions as the puzzle face. The unpredictability of the puzzle represents how algorithms sometimes are not so easily transferred from one medium to another.
Jess Schroeder created a poster containing images that represented her responses to the course's essential questions.
Abby McElroy practiced writing lesson plans, even if the topic was not at all related to her journalism major. She found making a lesson for computers and algorithms to be a fun twist on things she's been learning to do and included class discussions, homework, and more!
Jentry Keesling created an infographic describing the way computer science has changed psychology and created new fields combining the two.
Max Vale wrote a play about two pieces of brothers learning about what it means to answer the essential questions of the course. It explores where the boundary of human and computer overlap and what happens when that boundary is crossed.
Adrian Tauriainen created a presentation about how computers and technology have impacted the world of architecture.
So, there you have it. Nineteen different responses to the same prompt. Leaving an assignment open (as opposed to strictly defined) provides the learner an opportunity to explore their passions, and thus they are likely to engage with the assignment more fully. It also makes the evaluation of the assignment a lot more interesting, since the submissions are not cookie cutters of each other, and I often learn something new as well. Learner-centered teaching for the win.
What interesting assignments have you had? Describe it in a comment below.
Image credits: All images were provided by their creators.
A year ago, I was named the 2022 Ball State University (BSU) institutional winner of the Mid America Conference (MAC) Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success. The trophy company the MAC used apparently still had a significant backlog due to COVID supply-chain issues, so the trophy just recently arrived on the BSU campus so it could be presented to me. This post is partially about me, but it's really about all the good people around us, so I encourage you to keep reading.
The MAC Outstanding Faculty Award recognizes one full-time faculty member nominee from each of the twelve MAC institutions that has demonstrated a dedication to student success. From these nominees one faculty member that has gone above and beyond in their dedication to student success is honored as the winner of the MAC Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success. That was not me last year, but I was recognized as the BSU institutional winner.
This student-focused award is distinguishable from academic or research-based awards as it celebrates the commitment of the MAC to a holistic student experience and the creation of an environment that supports success in school and in life.
My remarks
A few days ago, BSU held a celebration in my honor at which they presented the trophy to me. What follows are the remarks I made at that event.
This award focuses on student success. So, what actions do I take that I believe contribute to student success? I don’t believe there is any one big thing, but rather lots of little things that all add up to student success. Things like…
Using active learning to keep class engaging
Using flipped learning by recording videos for learners to watch outside of class, and doing activities in class when they can ask me questions
Being learner centered
Having learners do reflective writing
Being aware of disabilities, and doing what I can to support those learners
Doing what I can to keep diversity, equity, and inclusiveness as part of the conversation
Using alternative grading, primarily specifications grading, so learners can grow from their mistakes
Emphasizing the workforce competencies they are indirectly learning
Mentoring immersive learning projects to provide participants a rich learning experience
I make myself very available to learners during class, via email, and in my office (both physically and online) at a variety of hours during the day, since leaners often have questions after 5:00 PM. My goal always is to find a way to help learners understand, learn, and retain the material.
I often tell learners who are regular visitors to my office: “I’ll work at least as hard as you will, to help you learn this material.” What I’m telling them is that if they are trying, I’ll be right there with them—but they must put in some effort.
But this recognition is not fully about me. It’s about all of us in this room, and across campus. I happen to be the one who has a very supportive department chair, Jennifer Coy, who submitted the award nomination that was selected to be the BSU institutional winner last year. But I would not be the faculty member I am today without the interaction, training, guidance, and support of scores of other faculty, staff, administrators, students, and family, all of whom I’ve learned something from over many years. I’ve borrowed tips and techniques from uncounted others, many of whom are in this room today. I firmly believe there are many faculty who are just as deserving—perhaps more so, but are yet to be nominated. I just happen to be the one nominated last year.
I sincerely thank the faculty and students to wrote support letters for me, and everyone who has interacted and shared with me over the years, thus allowing me to learn something from you. I appreciate all of you for taking time out of your day to come to this event.
President Mearns presenting the BSU Outstanding Faculty Award to me
Good fortune strikes twice!
I also had the good fortune of being nominated by Kara Duquette for the 2022 BSU Outstanding Faculty Award last year. This award is given in recognition of demonstrated composite excellence in teaching, scholarly or creative productivity, and service by a faculty member who has an academic record at Ball State University of more than five years. Eight individual faculty, staff, and administrators from across the breadth of the university took the time to write and submit letters of support for my nomination. Submitted along with the 25-page nomination dossier, Kara and Robbie Mehling produced a four-minute video highlighting why I was being nominated for the award. Ultimately, I was selected from the nomination pool, and was presented the award at Ball State University's fall 2022 faculty convocation. Again, I believe there are many other faculty who are just as deserving—perhaps more so, but are yet to be nominated.
So what!?
So, last year was a good year for me. I received two significant awards within a year's time. I am extremely appreciative of this recognition! While I believe I do a good job, I also suffer a bit from imposter syndrome. I don't see myself as being that good. However, others around me do, and submitted award nominations on my behalf. They saw the worth and merit of being supportive of those around them and chose to expend significant time and effort to recognize someone in whom they believed. To be the recipient of that level of support not once, but twice, is a bit humbling for me.
I ask that you take a look around you. Yes, do it now. Who do you interact with that is doing a good job? Maybe it's as simple as they're doing what they're supposed to do, day in and day out—they're dependable. Let them know that you appreciate them. If their effort, ability, or attitude is rising above others, let them know that you noticed. If there is an award for which you can nominate them, do it. Regardless of being selected as the winner or not, simply being nominated is recognition in itself.
Letting people know that you appreciate them, support them, and believe they are doing good, will likely be returned to you. I know I'm more inclined to go above and beyond what is needed or expected when I'm feeling appreciated by those around me. How about you?
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