By: Julie Wauchope

At the Lilly Conference I learned about many research-based ideas and best practices to help students learn and succeed. I came away excited about creating a curriculum that was student-centered and emphasized student engagement. I wanted to teach students to apply strategies and to identify when, how and why to use them. Most importantly, I wanted a better way to assess the degree to which students could do this.

I teach integrated reading and writing, so I chose strategies that I’ve taught since I became a teacher at ACC – how to study using a textbook. This semester, I started by teaching textbook study strategies to students in 2 sections. Then, to assess whether students could apply the textbook strategies they learned, I asked them to describe how to apply the same processes using different textbooks. The audience for their project would be other students who might be required to read the textbooks.

Next, I helped each student find a textbook that they might use in their very first class in their major area of study. We checked the online schedule to find out which books were required in the introductory classes of each students’ major discipline. Students either checked the textbooks out of the ACC Library or used e-books they could access for free online. The ACC library has a large selection of textbooks for students to check out for almost every entry-level course. To scale up, the library might need to expand its collection. For now we had plenty for everyone.

Instead of assigning students an essay or a test, I decided to have them make a video telling other students how to use their textbook. I envisioned creating a Youtube channel with all their videos as a resource for future ACC students. The students who watch the videos might appreciate getting information about textbooks more from another student.

To get my students started, I showed them how to make a Power Point presentation and add videos to it. I allowed students to use a different format if they chose. Several students asked if they could do something that didn’t involve a video. I decided they would have to include a video, but they wouldn’t have to show their face . Also, some students created videos using applications that are not supported by the software on the computers at ACC. So far, I’ve been able to add the applications I’ve needed to my computer, but I can’t count on being able to do that in the future.

I already have changes I’ve decided to make to improve this assignment for next semester. I’m going to ask students to make storyboards with scripts to plan their videos before they start filming them. I think this will make for more confident students and better end products. I also want to consult with an Instructional Design Specialist to get an expert’s opinion about which application and format would be the most user-friendly for this activity. Wish me luck and watch for us on Youtube!