Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Internship Blog #2: Informal Learning: My Favorite Part of Class

Check it out at The Xplanation.

(Julia Shuck is a student intern at The Xplanation, writing a regular column on education and working behind the scenes in our research department.)

I get to class and, like my peers, sit in my usual spot- humans are creatures of habit. This is my favorite part of class, the five to ten minutes before it actually starts- sometimes. It just depends on the atmosphere that the teacher has created.

My favorite classes are those where the class is open to interaction with peers and the professor, which hinges on if the professor has created a relaxed atmosphere. The best class examples I can think of this semester are Gender and Communication and Major World Religions.

The Gender and Comm class has about 20 students but because the lecture includes a lot of dialogue and we are often asked our opinions, there is a need for an open and relaxed atmosphere. Now, before class we may chat about a test someone is studying for, someone may come in and talk about their bad morning or we might ask for an update, like how’s Terry’s baby doing.

The ability of the professor to set the atmosphere so that we are comfortable chatting before and after class with those we may not know so well helps in the class dialogue because we are more comfortable offering our opinions and ideas. I believe this started when the teacher would come in at the beginning of the year and for the few minutes before class, would talk about her latest internet dating escapades. By breaking down barriers and being open with us, it helped us in turn to be more open with her as well as our peers. I’m not asking that every professor talk about their date nights, but offering some personal information helps students to connect and enjoy the class more.

My Major World Religions class is its own animal. This is a lecture class of about 120 students ranging from freshmen to senior. I love the atmosphere at the different parts of the room. I have come in late to find the back of the room working on their laptops or checking out Facebook, where being relaxed and social (although not neseccarily with those arund you) in the norm, while the students in front pay attention. Normally, I sit in the front of the class, coincidently with an old friend and students in my class discussion lab. The atmosphere in the front is 180 degrees from the back. As we come into class we chat (with each other) about the latest homework assignment or new theory. At the end of class we talk about what we’re going to do for our term paper and help each other. In the middle of class, my old friend and I discuss the lecture and our reactions.

My favorite day was when we had a few minutes before class and I asked about the professor’s baby. He has missed an entire week of class and never mentioned the newborn; it was just a side note from his Teaching Assistant. He asked if we wanted to see pictures and was surprised when we said yes. I believe the loudest “ahhs” came from the middle of the room as we saw pictures of his newborn and then his other tatertots- we had thought this was his first child! While it didn’t seem to occur to him to share the excitement of his newborn, it was what we as student connected with. While I don’t expect full disclosure from any professor, showing us a bit of their personal side or what happens outside of class helps build rapport and credibility, professionally and as an individual.

My advice to professors: don’t waste the few minutes before class starts. If you want students to feel like they can come to your office hours, maintain focus during class or feel like they can speak up, break down the barrier of professor v. student and show us your human-side.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Xplana: Informal Learning: Tailgating

Also available at thexplanation, this is the first blog post I created for my internship!

The blog is also pasted below- enjoy!

(Julia Shuck is a student intern at The Xplanation, writing a regular column on education and working behind the scenes in our research department.)

Informal learning. It’s something I do as a university student everyday but never imagined it had an actual name until I heard Michael Feldstein, member of the Sakai Foundation, speak at our annual Xplana event. Feldstein’s presentation focused on the importance of informal learning at the secondary education level and the need for these institutions to tap into informal learning opportunities. The problem is that there aren’t many examples of how to blend the two and universities don’t know where to start. So, I’m going to do it; I’m going to be the snitch that talks about how college students learn informally. (No worries, I’m the youngest child so I’m good at snitching.)

Before embarking, I think it’s best to make sure we’re on the same page. According towww.mariaconner.com, learning happens on a spectrum with four areas:

  • Formal learning- taking classes or attending work meetings
  • Intentional learning- reading, studying
  • Unexpected learning- social media, internet surfing
  • Informal learning- from friends and family, joining a sports team

The universities have formal and intentional learning figured out, but there’s a disconnect when it comes to unexpected and informal learning. How, where and what do we, as college students, learn outside of the lecture hall?

Use Case #1: Tailgating

Saturday was my last football home game. As the last home game of my undergraduate career, tailgating was not an option. After arriving to our end destination, the pirate flag, we started to mix and mingle. In the midst of the chatter, I met someone in my college and it was instant bonding. There are some things you can’t explain, you just have to experience it and a college with a small town atmosphere is no different. While I didn’t intend to, I was learning more about another degree in my college and as an ambassador, it’s my job to recruit high school students and be informed about our different degree programs. I learned more about the Parks, Recreation and Tourism (PRT) degree during half time of the football game than I had the previous four years. And it was more fun and memorable learning about the degree this way as opposed to reading the PRT info sheet.

Once the cold became too much to handle we headed downtown to watch the game on TV. We bumped into another group of long lost friends. While texting a roommate I was asked which photography professor I knew- Katie is taking a photo class next semester. Lo and behold, Joe will be Katie’s professor next semester. Being friends with Joe instead of a student, I started to tell her what makes him tick. I didn’t tell her what it was like to be his student, I told her what it was like for him to teach a class of students that are constantly texting and think this is going to be an easy class so they don’t put forth much effort. While the cell phone comment gave her a stunned look, she was ready to give it her all and explain to him that she was in this for the long haul. Not only did she get “backstage” information but on the spot she determined how she would handle the situations as they came her way.

Could attending game day be a more informal way of learning? Better yet, could it be a more unexpected? The day ended at a bar where everyone had their game players and bounced back and forth between trivia on the big screen and word games on the handheld devices. Who is Ronny Cox anyways? (He’s an actor, singer-songwriter, thank you smartphone!)

Xplana: Next is Now

Check out this youtube video: Next is Now.

This was my first project at my internship with MSB Textbooks, the largest buy back and resale textbook company in the U.S. based in Columbia, Mo. I helped to conceive the idea of what the video would look like and then researched statistics to include in the video.

Personal inspirations for the video: girleffect.org

Geared toward higher education institutions and their administrators, this was a great chance to target an audience I've never thought to target.

I hope you enjoy!