Welcome to the teachers’ lounge, an occasional newsletter to keep you posted about happenings in the data journalism teachers’ club.
Today’s issue:
Wednesday ****Aug 14 @ noon ET
In our second session, you’ll learn how to use assessments which we discussed in the first session (don’t worry if you didn’t attend, you can still join this one!) to design or update your course syllabus. You’ll understand better how to connect the sequence of your course with the course’s stated learning outcomes, and how to make those connections clear to students. We will talk through how to evaluate whether or not the assignments you’re giving your students effectively determine your students’ abilities, and we will practice this using one specific learning outcome that is common to most journalism courses: pitching a data story.
https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXe8ASsKYnTWR28eCYrrhSFSxysRpzmon3mSYjMyN-RnjVx77rqp3R98Pms8G3YcKycRO0L0oKfOuHQ5YljCh1jwtudCZlsR1aSnPYj3RSuCMaScWnUF25RI96eX8hpLJpC9gZq9_ndwsbeSaNrrr35gEfZF?key=Pv3DRnnx481wa0plfYegTw
Upcoming:
Part 3: How do you align your teaching with your new and improved syllabus?
September 13 @ noon ET
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/972377355847In our final workshop session, we’ll build on our learning outcomes and syllabus design to brainstorm teaching methods we can use in the classroom to increase student engagement and learning. You’ll learn about different pedagogical approaches and activities that align with those approaches to use in class, and you’ll share what’s worked for you in the classroom. You can apply the takeaways from this session in your classes immediately!
Dr. Sundrani started this workshop with the idea of backwards design: “Instead of starting with the topics to be covered, the textbook to be used, or the test to be passed, you begin with the goal.” The group shared some assessments -- anything that measures students’ learning, like in-class or homework assignments -- with the group and what end goals they measured. For example, one professor explained how they tested persistence in their students by collecting logs of communications with FOIA officers, rather than whether or not the students got responsive records. We talked about the benefits of sharing directly with students what you’re measuring through each assessment. Dr. Sundrani explained the difference between formative (low stakes, throughout the unit) and summative (higher stakes, at the end of a unit) assessments and how they work together to test student learning and retention. Check out Dr. Sundrani’s slides and our workshop video on this training!
This workshop was the first in a three-part series: our next workshop will be held on Aug 14 and will cover syllabus design.