Week 7

We have reached in the 7^th week. In the last week, we assessed our overall efficiency and effectiveness in developing a flipped classroom. This is the reading week. My main focus during this week is to cover any remaining work left during this module and to work on the Final Assessment of this module last part which is observing the peer during a class session. I completed the last task of the final assessment by observing my colleague like we did in the first module with the micro-teach session. I filled the learning conversations form with the summary by keeping in mind all the 3 Learning Outcomes (LOs) and Assessment Criteria (ACs) for the assessment.

Learning Conversation Form 

For teaching observation, peer feedback, self-evaluation and reflection on practice in supporting student learning

Observer: Syed Mazhar Uddin Taj	Observee: Mark Wright	Date: 05-03-2020
Course: Web Systems and Technology		Year: Level 5
Subject of session for supporting student learning: Design and Review a Web Application
Number of students expected to attend: 35		Session length: 40 minutes
Activity(ies): e.g. lecture, seminar, tutorial, supervised studio or location work, one to one tuition, micro-teach session, etc
Strengths and effective practice – observer to identify in bullet points: (E.g. strengths could be: e.g. clarity of aims/outcomes, planning and organization, methods/approach, delivery and pace, content (currency, accuracy, relevance, use of examples, level, match to students needs), student participation/achievement, facilitation of student active and/or deeper learning, use of environment and learning resources, scaffolding on prior learning, diversification of approaches to take account of different learner needs, management of timing and weighting of different parts of session, use of formative assessment to test learning, promotion of positive class climate, encouragement of students to evaluate the session and their own learning, etc. NB sources of pedagogical scholarship discussing aspects of good teaching practice can help suggest ideas for strengths and aspects of effective practice and help support your observations) The method of your teaching is quite impressive and seems attractive. I personally found myself involve in the lecture. This is the most appreciate able thing that your listener must understand what you are trying to convey. I personally thing that the choice of word in teaching has a huge impact on your class. Teacher or you may say a tutor must be optimistic toward any problem in study. You have very optimistic approach in your teaching method. This approach creates an enthusiasm in learning. A good teaching practice is to engage your student in different activities by motivating themselves. I found you are a good motivator for the student. This motivation comes when students find the subject easy and understandable. These things encourage the student to learn more things. Your market-oriented knowledge about your subject, is priceless. I found myself much familiarize about the things you mention in your session. The student can visualize the thing easily because you use very relatable examples. The resources you shared with us is quite helpful. The interesting thing is there are not bulky books or literature you use during the session. The links of video and literature about topic are less time consuming. The thing I found more attractive the way you communicate with your student queries. The session of lecture/tutorial is thirty minutes. Last ten minutes are reserved for question answer session. The interesting part is you provide your official WhatsApp number to student within particular time frame. In this way student can practice their concepts. If they have any query they can contact. The terminology you used in your lecture was so simple and understandable anyone can understand easily. The practice to express an expression in two or three words reduce ambiguity in concepts. The chance of better understanding is increased by this way. Your presenting data by using PPTs and screen sharing was appealing. It is a good practice to use mix approach or blended approach. In this way student can learn theories as well as practical. The data on your PPTs is well structured. These slides do not have excessive amount of data. Excessive amount of data can be disturbing for the session. Leaving a question for the student is also a good practice by you. This can increase the quality by engaging the student (Stein and Graham, 2014). The attentive mind is most essential need for online learning. Leaving small questions for the students is very helpful to realize them to engage. As John Medina says in ‘Brain Rules’ that human brain can pay attention only for ten minutes. You must grab attention by triggering something. These questions are much helpful. You use constructive alignment in proper manner (Biggs and Tang, 2011). Your learning outcomes and activities are constructed in good manners.
Questions, observations and potential suggestions for improvement: ways in which the session could be further developed in the future: (NB sources of pedagogical scholarship discussing aspects of good teaching practice can suggest ideas for further development for the session and help support your observations) I observe that the interaction of student is limited (as it is mentioned, during the session it is only for last ten minutes). What if we can increase this session more than ten minutes. So that, student can actively participate. There might be some noisy problem. For that I suggest you, adopt flipped classroom. With the help of this approach you can carry online session. After that conduct, a face to face session. In this session ask them to practice and resolve their ambiguities in concepts and learning. Overall, your assigning a task according to their learning approach or you might say for summative assessment is good. But what if we assign the task to a group of students rather than assigning to an individual? I think it increases the productivity and understanding. While student analyze the problem he online thinks in his cognitive angle. If there two or three persons to analyze same problem, the approach will be different. This how student also learn about teamwork as well as subject. The learning process surely faster. While telling the student about market practicing you told the student about client considerations. It might be more understandable for student if you put them in activity where one is acting like client and other as web developer. After that the interchange the role vice versa. This practice will enhance their thinking dimensions. Student will be able to understand client thinks.
The observer to summarize the sessions overall quality in relation to the stated learning outcomes: (i.e. to what extent did the learners seem to achieve and demonstrate the stated learning outcomes of the session and what seemed to help or hinder them to do that?) The stated learning outcomes of the session were: Designing consideration of a simple web application. Review an existing web application against a current web standard. Quality of session, in relation to students achieving the stated learning outcomes by the end of the session: The student having prior knowledge about the subject, seems very active during the session. While question answer session started, they become a part of discussion actively. They noted down their questions during the session. It seems they have researched about the topic. It is because tutor told the topic of next class in advance. The enthusiasm of student was telling that they have listened each and everything actively. One more thing about the quality is the tutor adopt the narrative style to explain a thing. Sometimes he creates a kind of an analogy. Sometime time he uses chronology about a thing. I feel that these things are very helpful to memorize anything. The style of delivering the message was moderate. The pace of speaking was quite good. The quality of pitch is also appreciate able. It seems that tutor have much practiced about it. So was it. Because he is much experienced and taught this topic many times to many students. The slides and the shared screen are perfectly match with his words. As he pronounces a word or sentence the word appears accordingly. The animation was impressive in his slide. After lecture session, it seems students are well-aware the terms he spoke during the session. As he explains the existing system working in market, they ask about the different scenarios of it. Which make me feel that they are able to understand the terms. The designing concerns also rememberable as he used the technique of acronyms. Ways through which (all) the learners could be supported even more effectively to achieve the stated learning outcomes for the session: As after session or precisely says after practicing the session, student shares their work with the tutor. The things are created as well as corrected hand to hand. This is a quite nice approach to I feel. The sharing work mean they share screenshots of their work. If any error occurs, they share. This act is much supported. You provided them useful digital resources for their work. It is a good approach, but I think it make them limited and stick to the resources you have given. I suggest that you can improve to share the links about all the resources and ask them, feel free to learn from anywhere. As far as you told them what the final outcome would be. You can also encourage the blended approach of flipped classroom. This will also make the student more interactive and learning outcome could be more defined. The effectiveness, accuracy and engagement of student will increase.

Self-Reflection on Learning Conversation:

For the Observer and Observee (the one whose practice is being observed)

FOR OBSERVER: What have you found helpful about the peer-observation process, for your own learning and practice in supporting student learning? Being a student of pedagogy, there are many things to learn. I witness an entire case study by attending the online session. First of all, I practice the pedagogy theory ‘micro teach’. I was familiar with this term but never practice after learning the term. This was worth experiencing thing for me. After that, I must admit that my peer practice of teaching is way better than mine. I have learnt many things about how to conduct a live online session. His teaching method very motivative and grab the attention of student. Simple questions during the session make his student more attentive. It is also a noticeable thing that when he was delivering his lecture his slides and words wisely chosen. Each slide has its connection to previous slide. There is a harmony in his words.    The method of his assessment is quite impressive. He assists his students as well as assess their progress. This is an assessment of individual. By sharing the problem during the practice of student give them much flexibility and increased productivity.   FOR OBSERVEE:    Strengths:  – What strengths in your practice in supporting student learning can you identify from this process and experience?   Facilitating the student, by providing them easy access to you is much supportive. But there is problem I face by practicing this. The problem is when you on for students, there are some queries, which consume much time. This is a problem, but it is also increased your experience toward the problem. With the passage of time, I trained myself to overcome these problems.   – What supports what you are saying about these strengths, in terms of your own observations and reflections, peer (and any student feedback) and observations you have received, and what you have learnt from sources of pedagogical theory & scholarship?   There is an appealing concept of flipped classroom. It is quite impressive for me. Because it seems it save much time. I will practice it optimistically with this hope that all things will go smoothly.    – What might be the potential implications of these strengths for your ongoing practice in supporting student learning? How could you take this further?   By using the concept of blended approach and imply the concept of flipped classroom, I will the student support. I will see practically how this things will work and how we can facilitate our student to increase our outcome.    Areas and potential actions for future development:  – What areas and specific potential actions, for future development of your practice in supporting student learning, can you identify from this process and experience? By practicing ‘micro teach’ I am able to identify the flaws of my teaching methods. For future practice, I will work on my body language, my speaking skill, my presentation skill and online conducting class skill. Being a student of pedagogy, there are lot of things to practice. But using the concept of flipped classroom, I will polish these skills, mentioned above.    – What supports what you are saying about these areas and potential actions for future development, in terms of your own observations and reflections, peer (and any student) feedback you have received, and what you have learnt from sources of pedagogical theory & scholarship? By observing my peer and discuss with him about his method, I came to know how I can improve my weak areas. The things can be more deliverable if I adopt some minor tips. Pace of my speaking, tone of my speaking has an impact on student. He/she could be more attentive if I engage his brain according to lecture. Feeding some questions during the lecture are much helpful.    – How specifically will you develop your practice in supporting student learning in the future, from what you have identified above? E.g. what specific actions will you take and when? I will conduct mock classes with my colleagues and practice these things with them. They rate my body language, pace of speaking, tone of voice, presenting and many other well-defined criteria which are measurable.