Joy Hooker
Designing...Developing...Collaborating...Teaching
Attribute 2: Advance learning and teaching practice through critical self-reflection, evaluation and research
Reflection and evaluation is an important tool for enhancing learning and teaching practice. This has been accomplished in a number of spheres.
Learner Feedback
Feedback from learners was gathered from both level 4 and 5 classes during 2013 and 2014 and from the evening class (Hearing God's Voice) I presented during 2014. The lecturing I currently do at EMTC is ad hoc in nature rather than being responsible for a full course and some comments given reflect this.
Learners were asked to give a rating on a 1 to 10 scale for:
- General ability to communicate
- Enthusiasm for the subject
- Use of a broad range of teaching methods
- Appropriate pace of delivery
- Ability to stimulate interest in the subject
- Usefulness of resources supplied
- Organisation of subject content
- Encouragement of student interaction
- Showing interest in student development
- Accessibility to students outside of class
2014 Learners were also asked to make comments under four headings:
- I like (what did you like about the lecturer?)
- I wish (what do you wish the lecturer did differently?)
- I will (what has changed for you through this lecturer's input?)
- General comment
Below are copies of collated results for all five classes surveyed. These give the number of students who gave a rating for each point on the 1-10 scale as well as an overall average for each competency. All comments given are also provided.
Learners rated me very highly averaging between 8.0-9.8 for all aspects rated. The comments they gave reflected my passion and enthusiasm no matter what subject I taught and a teaching style that enlisted learner engagement. Quite a few people commented that they would like me to lecture more often.
A possible improvement mentioned several times was to provide more opportunity for group discussion during class. While I generally include some discussion during class this is often limited to a few minutes in groups of 2 or 3. One of the reasons for limiting group discussion has been from negative comments I have received from learners regarding other lecturers have incorporated a lot of group discussion. The main comment was that they would rather hear from the lecturer than spend a lot of time hearing from others in class.
Recently I have begun to examine ways I can include further appropriate group discussion. Simply discussing something to fill in time, or to ensure I include a group discussion somewhere, is not something I want to do. Any group discussion needs to have a purpose and form part of the class learning.
Peer Feedback
Peer feedback on lecturing was gained in November 2013 (L4 Church History lecture series) and June 2014 (Hearing God's Voice course). Evaluation covered the resources supplied to students, presentation, content and general comments. These are included below.
Feedback given was very positive with minor improvements suggested such as including learning outcomes in the manual, a different way of displaying a table and the possible inclusion of a video clip.
I am proactive in gaining feedback wherever possible in order to improve my teaching. As mentioned in the Church History lecturer evaluation, I also gained feedback from the Principal of another Bible College when I was in Wellington to run a weekend intensive course in September 2013. The feedback gained was also very positive with minor improvements suggested.
Programme Evaluation and Improvement
Evaluation of the first year of EMTC's online internship programme (which I developed - see Case Study 2), resulted in significant enhancements which are detailed in the 2013 Annual Programme Report which I compiled. The report includes an analysis of statistics, compilation of feedback from learners, lecturers, supervisors and stakeholders, as well as responses to concerns and adjustments made to the programme for 2014.
Summary
While 2013 was the first year this programme was implemented, feedback gathered demonstrates:
- high learner engagement and satisfaction with a number of graduates continuing on in their field of study in both employment and
voluntary roles.
- courses rated highly by learners for both interest and relevance.
- a programme structure that encourages and promotes a good community feel, particularly through attendance at block courses, plus
online forum discussion and a dedicated Facebook page.
- clear support by supervisors and stakeholders for the online delivery and the growth demonstrated by learners through the course of
the programme.
- a number of areas where improvement could be made – these primarily concern clearer marking schedules, and improved
communication with supervisors and placement providers.
The alterations and improvements planned for 2014 seek to address the major concerns that have been identified. Further innovations for 2014 such as the use of the iPad and increased lecturer participation in forum discussions will only enhance the programme and further the accomplishment of its objectives.
Research to Advance Learning and Teaching Practice
As part of the redevelopment of EMTC's Diploma internship programme (Case Study 1), I conducted extensive research on workplace learning, including reflection and assessment. As well as reading articles and best practice guidelines, templates from other educational institutions were examined. While this is detailed in Case Study 1, two significant outcomes as a result of the research conducted are detailed here.
1. As internship is a significant part of the programme, I researched various approaches to workplace learning in order to find a proven
model that would suit our context. Rather than a work-placement model that focuses on the placement, I chose a work-integrated
model that intentionally integrates classroom learning with the work done in the placement in order to ensure a holistic and integrated
approach is maintained. This is outlined in the Internship Overview document below.