Teaching Online for Medievalists – Video Seminar – June 2020

The following “virtual seminar” on teaching online for medievalists focuses upon some basic tactics for online pedagogy, especially course design. While it does not focus exclusively on teaching Gower, or even on teaching medieval literature/culture, it represents a discussion by and for medievalists of online teaching issues.

Presenters:

  • Dan T. Kline, University of Anchorage Alaska
  • Tamara O’Callaghan, Northern Kentucky University

Participants:

  • Stephanie Batkie, Sewanee: The University of the South
  • Siân Echard, University of British Columbia
  • Andrew Galloway, Cornell University
  • Jill Havens, Texas Christian University
  • Ana Sáez-Hidalgo, University of Valladolid
  • Ethan Knapp, Ohio State University
  • Kara McShane, Ursinus College
  • Jeff Stoyanoff, Pennsylvania State University Altoona
  • Kim Zarins, Sacramento State University

Moderator: Brian Gastle, Western Carolina University (on behalf of the John Gower Society)

The John Gower Society would especially like to thank Dr. Kline and Dr. O’Callahan for their willingness to share their extensive online teaching experience for this session.

The two-hour session has been divided into the following five videos: 

Part 1: Introduction

An introduction to the seminar and the participants.
(6 mins)

Part 2: Participant Info

A brief statement by each participant summarizing their spring 2020 move to online teaching, their fall 2020 teaching expectations, and their LMS experience. (n.b. unfortunately, due to a setting error, most of the video in this section displays a desktop rather than the presenter/participants)
(29 mins)

Part 3: Dr. Kline

  • Frontloading your work/prep
  • Scaffolding and Rubrics
  • Balancing synchronous, asynchronous, and F2F
  • Shorter work more often and groups
  • Focus on what is available
  • Make it liveable for you and the student

(n.b. unfortunately, due to a setting error, most of the video in this section displays a desktop rather than the presenter/participants)

(19 mins)

Part 4: Dr. O’Callaghan

  • Capitalize upon Colleagues
  • Developmental LMS shell for Arthurian Literature course
    • Use a developmental/test LMS shell (sandbox) for course deveopment
    • Course Q&A
    • Use of a required introductory module/lesson
    •  Weekly structure: Read / View / Do
  • Use and development of quizzes, plagiarism issues, and creative assignment design
  • Some specific useful resources (OWL, MLA IB Online Course, etc.)

(40 mins)

Part 5: Discussion Q&A

  • How can rubrics help?
  • How can we facilitate personal interaction in an online setting?
  • Use of discussion boards.

(18 mins)

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