Brief update
Well, this week, my groups have been progressing well with exercises - both in class and at home.
I have continued with the dynamic feedback (as it has been called by Microsoft in a recent Tweet) and have been able to offer guidance both in class and, more importantly, remotely as learners are attempting work. With the remote feedback, it has meant that a learner who lacks a lot of self-confidence has not only managed to complete all tasks but also has been able to get them all correct and, more importantly in my eyes, correct her own errors as she goes. In her feedback on how the unit is going so far, she highlighted the fact that she can get feedback so quickly - until this unit, she has had to wait for feedback until she comes in to class again.
What have I introduced to the mix this week?
This week, I gave one group of learners a test in class and, again, I’ve been able to mark them almost instantaneously. This has meant that feedback is not only timely, but also very much appreciated by the learners and helps confirm what they already know and highlight areas for development while things are still fresh in their minds.
Again, errors have been corrected straight away and, following a brief Forms survey, learners recognise the benefits of this approach as they feel that it really has enhanced their learning (which is what this is all about after all).
Feedback from learners has been good from both groups with all learners in one group and most learners in the second agreeing that dynamic feedback (I.e. my intervention as they work) has been helpful and enhances the learning experience as they really feel empowered to solve problems whilst still being supported by me. One of the benefits of this strategy has been the upsurge in work completed in class as learners compete to get the furthest in the work. There has also been a significant rise in work being completed outside of class - again, thsi can only be a good thing.
Interestingly, I’ve also noticed a lot more collaboration and peer support in class as learners find it easier to take their device to a colleague to ask for help or to show how they have approached a particular problem. For me, this indicates a radical shift in the way the learners are working (and not an intended shift) and can only be positive because, as we all know, collaboration is such an important skill that our learners have to develop to be competitive in this changing world.
My next set of quizzes will be conducted using Forms - no marking for me then 😎. I love using Forms for this as it gives me an instant measure of how learners have got to grips with new topics. I do find the limitation of question types in Forms frustrating as, sometimes, I would like to have a table completed (e.g. a full cash budget) but I can always use something like a self-marking spreadsheet for that instead.
I am coming to the end of delivery of this unit and, whilst I still have a couple of weeks left, I am already thinking about the next iteration of this unit and, indeed, every other unit I teach. I’ve decided that, as there has been such a positive response from learners and my work has become far more manageable, I will be moving to OneNote for all of my units from September. This will mean that I have to spend a lot of time preparing new/revised materials - but, of course, with the benefits I’ve seen, I cannot ignore it any longer. For me, my work will become far more organised and my employer will see a big reduction in printing costs. For my learners, they will be far more a self-directed and actively involved (and controlling) in their own learning - there will be no more reliance on chalk-and-talk with learners being free to progress at their own pace to specific points when I will open up mini-tests to establish their learning so far.
I intend to start developing digital escape rooms (or Break Outs) where learners are required to reach a specific solution in order to be able to access the next set of learning resources. I am hoping that this will help to stimulate a competitive atmosphere in the classroom and keep learners engaged. These resources will, of course, be part of my revised materials for the next iteration. If anyone is interested in seeing this type of resource, there’s a great example on Jill R’s YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/yxRoOvWDFB4) It is so easy to set one up (yes, I had a little play with a simple one today!)
Anyway, until next time....
