In this musing I would like to share a discussion strategy I learned quite some years ago, it is called a “Focused Conversation”. I picked up this strategy by attending a full day workshop from Jo Nelson, who at the time, was working for the Canadian Institute of Cultural Affairs. The workshop was great, and I ended up leaving with a copy of her book and a new approach to guiding conversations towards actionable decisions. Over the years I have used Focused Conversations in many different contexts:
These aren’t all the times that I have used a Focused Conversation, but they should convey just how versatile the strategy is. What is a Focused Conversation? (ORID) A Focused Conversation is a strategy that uses four rounds of questioning to guide participants through information and help them reach some their own conclusions about the data. Facilitators (teachers, leaders, workshop coordinators) skillfully guide the participants through:
Ground rules for ORID conversation participants (which should be shared at the outset):
What follows is a bare bones summary of the four steps. Whenever I use this model I tailor the accompanying questions to the educational or leadership purpose for the discussion (literary analysis, issue investigation, program review, curriculum mapping, etc.). The example questions are geared towards a focused discussion on a data set (like year-end surveys). You would need to make questions that suit the needs of your discussion. 1. Objective - What do you see? Concerned with data, facts, and the ‘truths’ that everyone can agree on, such as what was seen, heard, touched, etc. It is important to spend a considerable amount of time on this step so that all aspects and angles are explored. Example questions:
2. Reflective – How do you feel about this? Focused on reactions, moods, memories, associations. Examples:
3. Interpretative – What might this all mean? Concerned with meaning, purpose, significance, implications. Examples:
4. Decisional – What should we do? Focus on resolution, agreement, and possible new directions or actions. Examples:
Focused Conversations in Online Teaching I was thinking about the online applications of this strategy, especially in a teaching context. Here’s a possible scenario: One of our instructors in environmental education is guiding her students through an examination of the current controversies regarding pipelines from Alberta (eastward, westward and southward). Instead of assigning a number of readings or video clips to her students, she has asked them to do the research. Over several days of time, the class is assembling their ideas on a Padlet. The students post their own observations, paste in images (of the oil sands, of unemployment lines, of graphs regarding pollutants, etc.), and provide links (to news articles, websites and video clips). This “Pipeline Padlet” becomes the muse, artefact or data set from which to proceed through a focused conversation. After providing enough time for students to explore and peruse the posts on the Pipeline Padlet, the instructor asks her students to share their observations. What do the students see on that Padlet? Which images, words or angles emerge? Can they specifically identify the various kinds of environmental or economic impacts? How might this dats set be grouped or classified according to themes (environmental, economic, political, jurisdictional, or community factors/viewpoints), credibility (reliability of sources/voices), historical development (timelines) or environmental impact and urgency? What do the students notice about the kinds of information, the way it is shared, and how it is shared? This first phase (observation) often takes the longest. It is important not to rush the process. A skillful facilitator will make sure that every item is touched upon and considered. Hopefully, such facilitation will help stem the impulse to just jump on one line of thinking (the first or loudest voice) and help students to see that the issue is a complex one with many stakeholders – including themselves (as residents, as stewards of the earth, as those seeking employment). After giving enough time to do this review (I often spent over an hour in this phase), the instructor moves to the reflection part of the process. How do the students feel about what they are reading, seeing and hearing? Do the pipeline deliberations cause sadness, frustration, anger – or hope and potential? Are these emotions generated by concern over the environment, economy, or a sense of fairness and human rights? How do the students feel about the ways in which information is shared or viewpoints expressed? Which aspects or concerns generate the most emotion? In the second step, the instructor is helping the students move past a simple knowledge of the issues and is pushing them to question their established assumptions and beliefs, develop empathy and perspective taking, and come to a richer understanding of the context, the stakeholders, and the ramifications. This step should not be rushed, and students should have an opportunity to express their own perspectives through discussion (small group or classroom) or forums (written or video). Once the emotions have been shared and named, the group is ready to look at making sense of the issue. What does all of this mean? The instructor challenges the students to make sense of the observations and their feelings. What have we learned about the issue? What seems to be the central issue in all of these pipeline deliberations? How can we make decisions that are truly the best for the environment and for the people, animals and plant life in it? Where might we start? What would give us the most “bang for the buck”? How might we address misinformation, bias and political factors? Often, this is where an instructor wants to start. We have a passion for our subject area and we assume that our students share this passion and have some background knowledge and investment in the topic. However, many of our students have had very different life experiences and are immersed in a very different context than we might have. So, while some of the students can follow and partake in our “class discussions”, many others become disconnected and “check-out”. Our students need the opportunity to become aware of the data, viewpoints, players and stakeholders, before we move to such a discussion. And if we have done this pre-work, the discussions will be richer and more productive. Finally, the instructor moves to the last phase of the ORID process. What should we do in response to this issue? This questioning phase pushes students to ideate directions, decisions and possible solutions both for themselves and perhaps also for society in general. What kinds of initiatives might be started that work towards helping the environment, the people and the economy? What might individual roles and collective responsibilities be in such change processes? How would you sequence actions and decisions in a responsible way? Where would you start? What kinds of timeline or constraints might there be? How would we know that we are making a difference (success indicators?). This last phase in the ORID process may lead to individual assignments, essay writing, or presentations. As is often the case when confronting big questions or a wealth of data, there may not be consensus and, in a teaching situation, there doesn’t need to be. However, if the application is for choosing a direction for a faculty department or solving an emergent issue, you may need to work towards consensus. ORID was developed by the Institute of Cultural Affairs, a nonprofit organization with offices in Washington, DC. It was adapted from Winning through Participation: Meeting the Challenge of Corporate Change with the Technology of Participation by Laura Spencer (Dubuque: Kenndall/Hunt Publishing, 1989). Brian Stanfield further elaborated on the ORID model to show how it might be used in a variety of professional and intercultural contexts. Jo Nelson and the Canadian Institute for Cultural Affairs then built upon ORID model and describe how it might could be applied to teaching and leadership contexts. Stanfield, R. Brian, ed. (2000) The Art of Focused Conversation, New Society Publishing. Nelson, J., & Canadian Institute of Cultural Affairs. (2007). The art of focused conversation for schools: Over 100 ways to guide clear thinking and promote learning. Toronto, Ont: The Canadian Institute for Cultural Affairs.
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The Future of Faculty In the past few weeks, I have been part of a NQ Futurist group tasked with opening up conversations and getting feedback regarding the future of teaching and learning at NorQuest. More specifically, gauging how ready our instructors are for the rapidly changing nature of post-secondary education. It was kinda fun. I ended up working with a small group (Heather, Justine, Farah and Rasoul) and we did some reading and research, considered the various scenarios that were already part of the Reimagine Higher Education document and tried to design an interactive workshop that might also secure meaningful data and suggestions. Then our little group went “on the road” (digitally) and did seven presentations in two weeks, reaching a sizable number of NorQuesters (126 responded in the Mentimeter polls!) All the same, I think we broadsided some instructors. Very early in our presentation, we asked participants to gauge how ready they were for current and emerging trends in post-secondary learning. For many, who focus mainly on supporting their students on a daily basis, the terms may have been a bit unfamiliar. I thought I might use this MMM to tackle these terms and provide helpful, reader-friendly links for those who want to know more. (No dry research articles in this lot!) Overall Trends https://thebestschools.org/magazine/current-trends-online-education/ Personalized Learning As the name suggests, this kind of learning allows students to complete an individualized or “customized” course/study that adapts and adjusts in light of their prior learning and experience, their specific learning strengths and needs, and their program and professional goals. This is a major shift from the standardized, one-size-fits-all courses and programs that most of us have encountered in post-secondary or at least, undergraduate education. For a better understanding of how personalized learning might look at the college level check out these links:
Students as Co-Creators This idea takes personalized learning and agency to the next level. From what I could learn, this approach asks students to help frame and build their own educational programs. Initially it reminded me of a couple of courses I designed for myself when completing my doctorate. My supervisors had to step aside from being the “experts” and facilitate my learning through coaching and check-ins while I tackled concepts and models that were unfamiliar to them. However, these co-creations seem to be more of an instructor-student collaborative study that has connections to research and designs for learning. While students collaborate with other students and instructors to do research In the process they learn and get credit for it. Moreover, there are co-creator programs that involve partnerships with organizations or industries. Although I could find could find many “references” to the idea of student co-creation being employed at a college level, I had a tough time finding short, summary-type articles on this. Instead, I pass on to you several examples of programs that use a co-creation model.
Online Facilitation Online facilitation is nothing new. We’ve been taking and hosting online courses for a couple of decades already. What is new is the extent to which we are now teaching online (it’s 2020!) and they way in which online teaching has evolved in terms of course design, flexibility, student engagement, OERs, interactivity, assessment, synchronous and asynchronous delivery, and online platforms, tools, and apps. Here’s a few articles and links that explore the advantages and disadvantages of learning in this way and some of the recent developments in online facilitation.
Micro Credentialing
A micro-credential is a certification or badge of assessed learning. It allows students and employers the flexibility to take small and targeted studies to develop a specific skill or competency without having to spend time in a comprehensive program. Micro-credentials can help prospective students effectively address learning gaps or continuing employees acquire immediately required training. In post-secondary, These credentials can be bundled to provide equivalencies for courses and programs. At this moment, many Canadian colleges and Universities are using microcredentialing to attract more part-time students and are looking at how to make these micro-credentials transferrable from institution to institution. Here are some more detailed explanations of micro credentialing from some institutions you may know:
HyFlex Learning At our Teaching and Learning Day last Friday, Jenni Hayman shared the HyFlex approach to course design. Unfortunately, I had to run my own session so I was unable to attend! However, with a little surfing on the net, I was able to gain a better understanding of this approach. HyFlex courses allow students to choose how they want to participate in their courses. One day they might attend class in person, another they could choose to join synchronously online, and on a third day they might watch the class asynchronously when it was more convenient. It is the “hybrid” or “blended” approach taken to another level of flexibility. HyFlex allows students to choose when and how they might go through their course, allowing students to stay engaged (f they have self-discipline). However, HyFlex requires a lot! Instructors must become very familiar with their program outcomes and to be extremely adaptive using in-person and online strategies and structures to construct a learning experience that is complex (multi-layered and varied) yet consistent in learning expectations and overall assessment. More information on the HyFlex approach is here:
Virtual and Augmented Reality Virtual and augmented reality is something that our college has been experimenting with for a little while. In the Innovation Studio, we had a VR set up where nursing students could put on the VR goggles and attend to a patient in a hospital setting virtually. On the other side of the retractable wall, students learned about human body systems by using the Z Boards, which allowed students to explore various parts of the body through 3-D interaction. This fall, NorQuest is investigating VR models and systems with an eye to helping students learn professional judgement through simulated interactions. More information on how VR and AR are changing the face of education can be found here:
It’s all about ME and six C’s Just after finishing my master’s program in 1994, I started looking at what makes an adolescent learner persevere in their learning. From research and experience, I found that teens have less patience in learning than pre-teens. When charged with teaching teens Trigonometry in Math, Poetic Meter in English, the Past Progressive Tense in French, Mitosis and Meiosis in Biology, or the Causes of the Great War in Social Studies, my students would often fire back three questions:
Now, at first, a teacher might resent such questions. After all, learning for the sake of learning is a noble pursuit, and many of us became teachers - not only because we love teaching - but because we also love learning. Nevertheless, these three student questions are significant and we needed to be ready for them. Moreover, our responses needed to be better than “because it is in the curriculum/syllabus” or “well, some day you might….” So I continued to dig into the research and surprise, surprise, I found out that perseverance in adolescent learners is dependent upon ME! You might take that in a number of different ways: 1) that it all comes down to the teacher or 2) that the single most important factor is the student and their personal (almost selfish?) needs for learning. In fact, both are wrong, what the research told me is that it all comes down to Motivation & Engagement (ME!) and the interplay of these factors in a teaching and learning environment. What is more, as I continued my odyssey in education, teaching at King’s, U of A and NorQuest, I discovered that what applies to adolescent learners aligns with much of what we know about adult learners. Just like teens, adult learners are concerned about practicality, immediacy of application, and personal and professional relevance. In other words, “So what?” and “Just how can I use this?” For our learners at NorQuest, it also comes down to ME - motivation and engagement. However, the idea of motivation is a tricky one. I have heard a number of scholars say that motivation is completely dependent upon the learner and that the teacher has no influence on this. If a student is unmotivated, either intrinsically or extrinsically, there is very little a teacher can do about it. Other educational scholars say that this is poppycock and that such teachers simply do not want to figure out what motivates their students, individually or collectively. Yes, these scholars say, motivation does come from within, but it is also very much influenced by situation, culture, necessity, and rewards (and many other factors). Teachers cannot create motivation, but they can learn and act upon the motives of their students and discover their “motivators”. This makes me think to the work I am doing now with my four-month-old puppies. Daisy’s “motivators” are food and love, Edgar is less interested in food rewards, but thrives on praise and attention, and Rufus is a very smart little dog who likes a challenge (He has already figured out how to open and close the back door.) and is motivated by play. I often catch him doing that Border Collie head cock thing where he looks like he is trying to figure out just how to get into that cupboard, or take away a toy from his siblings. Now, I am not comparing our learners to puppies (well, maybe a little…). Coming to class with a bunch of “puppy snacks” or a clicker would be absurd. However, I am saying that every learner is different and it is up to us to explore ways to use motivators to ignite and fuel their passions. Thankfully, most of our learners at NorQuest come to us of their own free will and chose programs that they see as beneficial to their development a persons, citizens, and professionals. So finding their motivators is a little easier than connecting to teens. Adult “motivators” might be self-improvement, a new career or challenge, a permanent residency card, or simply the love of learning. Junior and senior high school students do not have that same liberty as adult learners – they are conscripts in more comprehensive programming that they may or may not appreciate. Coupled with motivation is engagement. In order to tap into the motivators of our students we need to design learning environments and challenges that allow students to participate in a variety of ways and on a variety of levels. In this way, we might reach and inspire more of our students and support them in their learning journey. That still leaves us with an important question, “Just how can we better engage our students?” Well this is where the six C’s come in. In researching engagement, I found that students engage and persevere in learning, when they:
Keeping these six C’s in mind (choice, confidence, challenge, context, connections and collaboration) when we plan our courses, units and lessons, gives us a better chance in reaching our students and in making courses meaningful and relevant. Faculty Talking Circle - Library Last Thursday and Friday, Sarah, Joan and I hosted Faculty Talking Circles on “How might we get the most out of our Library”. The circles were small but rich. I really appreciated many of the points raised by faculty, faculty support, and especially by our guest librarians, Leah Townsend and Sheena Sereda. In the past year, and especially the past six months, the library has made a significant effort to connect with the students, staff and faculty at NorQuest. As Sheena put it: “Some students see us as a first stop, others as a last stop, still others as only and after-thought and then there’s one group that never considers the library or its services.” In the face of this challenge, library staff have:
Have you thought of inviting one of the library staff to your classroom? Do you reach out to them in your course planning and educational research? Did you know that the library block in your Moodle courses can be adapted to suit your students’ needs? For a significant part of the faculty circle we discussed some of the challenges that faculty and library staff still face. Instructors mentioned that students often resort only to Google and don’t know how to conduct reliable searches. While many instructors feel that they are giving the right links and information in their course descriptions, Moodle shells and assignment descriptions, the students still seem to have a phobia about using the databases and can be intimidated any time APA is mentioned. As the discussion continued, we agreed that many of the issues could be addressed through modeling and scaffolding. We often make the assumption that our students have the digital skills and the critical thinking skills to access resources, process them, recognize quality, and properly catalogue. It may not be so. Instructors need to model the use of the library by showing students how to access it and by using it themselves. Taking time in class to walk the students through an assignment and the steps in research, giving them a flow-chart or graphic organizer that might assist a search, and then setting up low-stakes assignments early in the term can build confidence and competence (I do, we do you do!). We also might need to look more closely at the scope and sequence or our course and our program. Are the essential skills of research, data gathering, discernment, organization, presentation and formatting taught early on in our program? Or do we just assume that the students come with those skills? Thank you to all who came to the circle! Our next circle will probably wait until late November/early December. The next three weeks seem to be packed with demands for faculty input! |
AuthorJeff Kuntz Ph.D. ImagesExcept where indicated, images used in the blog posts are personal photos, images from NorQuest College or images from Pixabay. Pixabay is a vibrant community of creatives, sharing copyright free images, videos and music. https://pixabay.com/ Archives
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