Bio

I have been teaching the Philosophy Department and in the Humanities Department for more than twenty years. I am a philosopher by training and do research in 19^th century continental philosophy, especially German Idealism. My research and my teaching focusses on conceptions of the self, happiness, the role of feeling and affect in knowledge seeking and feminist issues in philosophy. I am also a beekeeper and a farmer with a 300 square meter vegetable garden in the Eastern Townships. I am following Voltaire’s advice that one must cultivate one’s garden.

Portfolio

This portfolio is the reflection of my interest in e-learning that was initially primarily motivated by a desire to better understand the pedagogical benefits and drawbacks of e-learning in my capacity as head of curriculum committee in the Humanities Department. We were in the process of trying to craft departmental guidelines for e-learning, and I felt it was my responsibility to understand e-learning as much as possible so that I could provide the best leadership possible. I was personally not particularly interested in developing any form of online learning in my classes except as an honest effort to understand the pedagogical advantages and drawbacks of e-learning. During the pandemic, when we were all forced into remote online teaching and learning, I found that I was able to cover far less material with my students and that it was not easy to keep them engaged. The learning that worked out the best for me was when we were actually on Zoom together and had a sense of community. I came to the e-learning group with lots of doubts but also with some challenges in my classes that I hoped to solve.  My portfolio addresses these challenges and the role e-learning played towards solving them to my satisfaction.

1. My classes have been getting larger and larger and often I have 42 or 44 students in one class. It has become impossible to do group work in what ends up being a noisy cacophony. In my Critical Thinking class, it is necessary to do quite a few exercises in class that are best done in small groups. How to get this work done in such large classes?
2. Teaching philosophy is a joy and discussing philosophical problems and issues with students is always engaging and interesting. But it is difficult to get students to read philosophy texts as they are often dense, difficult and make for slow thoughtful reading. Students find this challenging to do on their own, at home. It is quite lonely and slow work, and they often resort to all kinds of shortcuts to sidestep their reading tasks. How can I ensure that the students actually read their texts and derive some enjoyment from the task?
3. Over the years, more and more students have been coming forward to request special accommodations in order to complete their work. I wanted to design a class in which most requests for accommodation would not be necessary, since accommodation for everyone would already be built into the class. I wanted to explore whether e-learning would be helpful for this goal.

E-Learning Solutions to Address the Challenges 1,2,3

1. The e-learning format allowed me to offer asynchronous classes in which students could work in groups on assignments with a kind of flexibility and concentration that was not possible in an in-person class. In my Critical Thinking classes, students have to do a lot of exercises to practice and build their critical thinking and argumentative writing skills. There is never enough time to do these in an in-person class in a way that is efficient and productive as students do not work at the same pace, and the classroom is too small for the large number of students who have to speak amongst themselves while figuring out their answers. The classroom becomes extremely noisy and many people, including me, cannot function intellectually in a noisy space. The asynchronous class format allowed me to set up workshop classes that were an in-depth development of lecture material and easier exercises we did in person with the entire class. The more difficult exercises that required more thought, collaboration and discussion with fellow students and teacher were done in the quieter, more collaborative and flexible format of an asynchronous class. The more difficult exercises prompt a sense of puzzlement that students then need to work out collaboratively. [1]Students were able to collaborate by learning from one another’s comments. Their contributions to the exercises took the form of more of a discussion around the right identification and interpretation of the problematic passage that committed an informal logic error, and they were able to see one another’s comments, have some time to reflect before making their own comment. This is better than the in-class format as they often get stuck in class and then give up or just wait for someone to solve the problem in their group. With the online format, they were obliged to make a contribution and they had time to benefit from the ideas of the other students. I was able to make groups that were larger than the ones in class but that were more functional in an asynchronous format, so there was more input for the difficult exercises. The longer more difficult exercises involve a paragraph length text with some informal logic errors nested in the text that students have to identify.

 Students had time to reflect, work at their own pace and do some research if necessary. The kind of informal logic exercises that I give them to work on are very easy for some students and much more difficult for others, and the online collaborative setting ensured that the ones who found the exercises more difficult were not left behind because the in-class pace was simply too fast for them. The asynchronous format also gave me the option of providing a recorded interactive lecture with exercises built in that were preparation for more difficult material in class.  The students seemed neutral, they liked the fact that they could learn the material in a more flexible time frame and that they could go over the material as often as they liked. But I think we all agreed that it was more fun to do this in an in-person context, although the in-person format took far more class time and left less time for other material. In the past, when I had all such lectures in class and getting through the exercises in the middle of the lecture before moving on to more difficult material typically ate up too much class time. The online prerecorded class was a time saver for the class, so that was a plus, but an enormous amount of work for me for a result that I did not really feel happy with or comfortable with in the end.

Conclusion: Students overall had fewer questions for me as they were helping one another, were more engaged in the exercises and felt more empowered. The leadership in the group work was more discreet that in the in-person classes where the groups seem to quickly develop into leaders and followers. The online format is more democratic and more inclusive as they personality of the leaders is still providing the pedagogical benefits of a strong student but not the sometimes-intimidating personal presence.

This blended format also led to much better attendance. This is a first year first semester general education class that students often drop once they are halfway through the semester and the excitement of being at CEGEP has worn off a little and their work starts piling up. In my class, when we start working on the more difficult exercises, some of the students get discouraged. It is easy to drop a general education class rather than a program course so the temptation to lighten their load is there. With this blended format, I had far fewer drops, far less absenteeism for the in-person classes, even at the end of the semester.

2. “The Philosophy Café”

University students overcome some of the isolation of being stuck in their rooms all alone with their reading and writing assignments by working in a social space such as a café where they feel a sense of community and can chat with their fellow students about their assignments (unlike in the library that is also a social space, but a silent one.) I wanted to create the kind of social collaborative space for my Dawson students so that they could enjoy one another’s company and the kind of intellectual collaboration that would make their reading more enjoyable and accessible. I created an asynchronous Philosophy Café Class. I used Perusall to create interactive reading assignments. Students had to write seven thoughtful comments, well-spaced, throughout the assigned text. I gave them a period of a few days to do the class and asked them to look at all the comments before we met in person in class. I also was online intermittently during this period and commented on their comments. My comments included:  answering questions, developing answers, pointing out the especially interesting aspects of some of the answers, and indicating where one might improve a comment. The students, almost without exception, responded extremely well to these collaborative Perusall classes and were most pleased with how sociable and how much easier it was to read and understand a difficult text when one had the entire class and the teacher helping in the process! In the earlier part of the semester, I wrote very extensive comments and wrote more often but as the semester progressed, I wrote fewer comments. Students had learned how to write intelligent and interesting comments and how to have a good conversation about a difficult text with their fellow students and I was happy to let them enjoy their independence as much as possible. In the in-person class that followed the asynchronous class, I would always give some general feedback on the comments before the lecture and would tailor the lecture as a response to their questions and comments. This made my lectures much more engaging for them as they became part of an ongoing conversation we were having as a class and that they were really leading. I was taking my cues from them much more than in classes I had taught that were in person only.

The students also really enjoyed the flexibility this kind of conversation and “in class participation” offered. They had time to reflect, they could come back to their comments and improve them as often as they liked before the deadline, and they were a lot less shy about “speaking up”. There are many reasons a student may not be comfortable speaking in a large class and the e-learning format offered a really good alternative in the kind of social media platform that students that is a natural part of their lives for their generation. In an in-person class, one is lucky if a handful of students want to say something about a philosophy text. With the e-learning format, ALL my students participated.  I got to know all of them very quickly, even in my large classes. I knew pretty accurately what they had understood, what they had enjoyed, what they found challenging. I was able to speak directly to them during the in-person classes in a way that was especially engaging as I responding to them rather than simply presenting class content. Finally, and this was huge benefit for me, I had proof that they had actually read the text and did not have to do a lot of second guessing in my in-person class about what they needed to progress!  I was able to cover far more material in a much more in-depth manner in the in-person classes, and in the course in general.

Conclusion: I had an immediate and intimate access to every student’s thoughts and understanding of the text with an opportunity for me to respond in writing for the whole class and thereby prepare them for the lecture to follow.  My in-person lecture did not waste time explaining parts of the text they had already clearly understood, and we had far more time to develop and discuss the complexities of the text as a direct response to their questions and comments.  A sense of community and fun that I had never been able to create for my classes to such an extent.

Note: Since we now have to deal with ChatGPT and I do not want my students to use AI to comment on the texts in our asynchronous classes, I will ask them to also submit their written-up comments on Turnitin.

2. Universal Accommodation

I have always been very concerned to ensure that my classes are taught in a way that ensures equity for a very diverse student population with very different needs.  I also think it is really important that classes are intellectually challenging and taught at a high level. I prefer to find ways to enable all students to reach a higher level of achievement rather than lower the expectations to bring everyone into the fold. To do this, a teacher must find ways to be flexible so that all students have the same possibilities of succeeding. The e-learning format offers a kind of equity that cannot always be achieved in an in-person class.  I found I had an ongoing acquaintance with my students’ progress that allowed me to quickly identify problems and be helpful to them in ways that were very student friendly. I was able to follow up in person with students regarding their problems with the class material much more quickly as I had a much more immediate and complete access to what they were understanding/not understanding in the class material from their online submissions.  I was also less of a possibly intimidating authoritative figure.  In the asynchronous classes, I was part of the gang, and the hierarchical structure of classroom teaching and office hour meetings was not an obstacle, as it is for many students. I added an extra layer of accommodation by taking the best 8/10 assignments for marks, so they had even more flexibility with their busy schedules and more choice in the kinds of assignments they enjoyed doing. Learning is much more successful when one has some agency and when one is enjoying the learning activity. The e-learning format offers both.

Student Testimonials

The only negative feedback I received from students was from students who had to stay at the college regardless of whether the class was asynchronous or in person and they wished that their schedule was such that they could leave the college earlier rather than have to stay and wait for their bus or their next class.  Some of these students said it didn’t make a difference to them whether the class was asynchronous or in person.

Students were very positive about the flexibility asynchronous classes offer: “I could organize my own schedule more”, “I could do the work at my own pace”, “deadlines for assignments were at 11:59”, “I was glad it was not a synchronous zoom class”.

Students were enthusiastic about the social aspect of the asynchronous classes “less social anxiety” “less nervous chatting online than talking in class”, “it is more motivating when you know people in class doing the same online exercise together”, “other students answered my questions before the teacher did”.

Students were enthusiastic and proud about their engagement and comprehension of the readings: “class was more like a conversation about topics that are important to me”, “class was more fun than my other classes”.

Support to Students

Students supported one another in a very natural and organic manner. Online, the stronger students and the more ambitious students who were inclined to do extra research or just had more general knowledge would write comments and answer questions in a way that lessened the need for me to intervene, either by writing clarifications and explanations myself or by trying to purposely put weaker and stronger students together in an in-person class group activity. The stronger students do not always appreciate being in an in-person group with weaker students and the passivity of some of the weaker students is demoralizing for the others. But in an online class, the stronger students are proud to take on the leadership role naturally, without being put into a group, and enjoy showcasing off their ability to answer questions.  The weaker students benefitted without being identified as weaker students by the teacher in front of the whole class in a in person formation of well-balanced groups.

Students were supported by the teacher by a significant increased availability:

• I was available and providing individual feedback on every contribution they made to an asynchronous class, as needed. There is never an opportunity or enough time to do this in an in-person class.
• I was usually available during asynchronous class times in addition to my office hours and my by appointment availability so students had even more access to in person availability if they required it.
• Finally, students got a boost of support from their own autonomy and empowerment. The asynchronous classes and the interactive discussions that I responded to made them feel that they were smart, that they were leading their learning, that the class belonged to them, and this made them feel positive and empowered. This is essential to the learning process. Students learn much better when they feel good about themselves and setting up the class so that I was clearly responding to their cues made them feel that their education was theirs, the issues in feminism and philosophy and techniques of argumentation were their issues that I was guiding them to reflect upon and develop.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology

I use Perusall, Lea and Turnitin in my classes. Turnitin offers the advantage of monitoring possible plagiarism, an easy way to organize submitted material and a quick way to write comments and provide feedback.  The advantages of Perusall have been extensively described above.

Advantages: Teacher gets to know students immediately. I know what each student in my class is thinking about the material I have assigned BEFORE I enter the classroom. This is a great advantage for me to tailor my teaching and not to waste any time explaining or discussing material that is already clear to them. The blended learning takes a lot of the guesswork out of teaching.

Disadvantages:

• Once in a while, I have a student who cannot manage the technology or who is very averse to using technology tout court. It is odd that such a student would register for a hybrid class, but their schedules are often the most important determining factor in their choice of class.
• Reading and commenting on the Perusall readings can be extremely time consuming for the teacher, and the constant adjusting of the in person lectures and adjustment of the power points I use in class to reflect the comments means that I have less flexibility in my schedule and more hours of work than if I taught in person only but the results are so satisfying for all concerned that it is worth it. The joy the improved pedagogy brings to teacher and student is worth the extra work. The restriction on the number of asynchronous classes also softens this disadvantage, since it only applies to a portion of the semester.

Conclusion

The e-learning format has clear and significant pedagogical advantages. In my class, the asynchronous classes, with the teaching, cognitive and social presence as described above, really developed my students’ sense of community and empowered them as individuals. They were more autonomous, more engaged and more collaborative than in the large in person only classes. It was much easier to be inclusive and to address the different learning styles of our diverse student population.  I only had six asynchronous classes in total and I think keeping the asynchronous portion of the class relatively small is probably a good idea. If I did think of adding more classes, I would want to do so cautiously and slowly. It is definitely more enjoyable for me as a teacher to be in person and also less work, but for the class overall, it is more enjoyable to have the level of engagement and success this format fostered.

Students who stayed on campus for the asynchronous class occasionally came to visit me in my office and I think it was reassuring for them to know that I was in the office for most of the asynchronous classes. It offered some extra time outside of office hours for them to get some extra help, or just to come by and chat.

I was surprised that the benefits were so remarkable and am grateful for all the thoughtful discussions I was able to have with the e-learning community of practice. I was very concerned about what I thought would likely further isolation of students from each other and from their teachers but in my case, the opposite was the case in my 101 Critical Thinking class. The e-learning format made for a much more intimate and engaged experience.

Bibliography

Conception, David. Reading Philosophy with Background Knowledge and Metacognition (2004) in Teaching Philosophy 27: 4, pp. 351-368.

Garrison, D.R., Anderson, A., and Archer, A (2000).  Critical Inquiry in a Text Based Environment: Computer Conferencing in Higher Education. The Internet and Higher Education 2, pp. 87- 105.

Martin F., Bolliger, D. (2018). Engagement Matters: Student Perceptions on the Importance of Engagement Strategies in the Online Learning Environment. Online Learning 22, 1, pp. 205-222.

Resnick, L.B. (1991) Shared Cognition: Thinking as Social Practice, in L. B. Resnick, J. M. Levine, & S. D. Teasley (Eds.). Perspectives on socially shared cognition (pp. 1 -20). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

[1] In the ideal E-Learning class, there should be a cognitive presence, a social presence and a teaching presence. In this instance, the cognitive presence is the sense of puzzlement or intellectual challenge of the more difficult exercise, the social presence is the community of online learners working collaboratively and the teaching presence is the preparation with the teacher of the groundwork and the easier exercises as well as the follow up on the more difficult exercises.