Workshop Program


Jump down to: Kick-off session: Thurs, March 29 |homework assignment #1| Session 2: Thurs, April 12 |homework assignment #2|Session 3: Thurs, May 3 |homework assignment #3

Please note: all times are listed as Eastern Daylight Time.

Virtual kick-off: Thursday, March 29

Watch the Screencast (MP4 Video 215.3MB Apr2 12) of the Day's session.

3:00-3:15 Workshop introduction

  • Barb Tewksbury: Welcome and introductions
  • John McDaris, SERC: Getting started with Blackboard Collaborate
  • Barb Tewksbury: Icebreaker and workshop overview

3:15-4:05 Introduction to effective course design (PowerPoint 1.5MB Mar29 12)

  • Barb Tewksbury: Setting overarching goals for an effective mineralogy, petrology, or geochemistry course

4:05-4:30 Individual work - first draft of course goals

  • Go to the Participants Page and click on the link to goals next to your name.
  • John McDaris: How to edit workspace pages
  • Complete the first draft of your course goals and add them to your workspace page by 4:30, and call back in at 4:30.

4:30-5:00 Commentary on other participants' overarching goals

  • Short discussion of questions that arose during individual work
  • For the people in your group: access other participants' goals pages via the Participants Page, and provide feedback on each participant's goals draft by entering comments in the "Add to the Discussion" box at the bottom of each person's goals draft workspace page.
    • Do the goals meet the criteria?
    • What suggestions do you have for improving wording or focus?
    • What do you particularly like about the goals?
  • Call back in at 5:00.

5:00-5:30 Small-group brainstorming of grand challenges, frontiers, and leading edge ideas

5:30 Call back in to main access code at 5:30.

5:30-5:50 Report-back from brainstorming session and general discussion

5:50-6:00 Wrap-up and homework assignment

Homework between now and the next session on Thursday, April 12:

  • Complete the road check to let us know how the workshop is going for you.
  • If you have not yet finished providing feedback to everyone in your group on their course goals, please provide that feedback by Thursday, April 5 at close of business.
  • Read the workspace pages on the grand challenges, frontiers, and leading edge ideas for the two groups that you did not participate in.
  • Read the feedback from the conveners and other participants on the first draft of your course goals.
  • Revise your course goals, and enter the revisions in the second part of your course goals workspace page. Please do not delete the original version.
  • Add two strategies that you could use to integrate grand challenges, frontiers, and leading edge ideas into your course.
  • You may find the section on setting goals in our Online Course Design Tutorial useful. You might also find the Goals/Syllabus Database useful as well. Just recognize that not all of the course goals that have been submitted to this database over the years meet the very specific criteria that we are asking you to meet in this workshop!
  • Read and respond to discussion threads; start discussion threads, if you wish.
  • If you want to have a phone or Skype consultation, please send an email.
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Please note: all times are listed as Eastern Daylight Time.

Virtual session: Thursday, April 12

Watch the Screencast (MP4 Video 223.7MB Apr13 12) of the Day's session.

3:00-3:15 Introduction

  • Barb Tewksbury:
    • Plan for the day and logistics
    • Short presentation:Showcasing some great goals from the kickoff session
3:15-3:45 Assignment and activity design
3:45-4:20 Small group discussion on designing effective assignments to incorporate leading edge ideas

4:25 Call back in to main access code at 4:25.

4:25-4:45 Small group reports

4:45-5:45 The role of student motivation

5:45-6:00 Wrap-up and homework assignment

Homework between now and the next session on May 3:

  • Complete the road check to let us know how the workshop is going for you.
  • Read the Grand Challenges, Frontiers, and Leading Edge Ideas in Geochemistry page or the Grand Challenges, Frontiers, and Leading Edge Ideas in /MineralogyPetrology page, and add your comments to the group pages that you didn't work on on Thursday. Do this before you start working on your own assignment/activity assignment for the May session.
  • If you are interested in developing one of the case examples that Emily talked about during Session 2, join the Discussion Thread on Case Example Development so that we can do a little planning.
  • Outline at least one assignment/activity for your course, and enter the information on your activity workspace page (you can connect to this by going to the the Activities Workspace Index. Your workspace page draft must be be completed by Saturday, April 28.
  • Add to Discussion threads.
  • Read and comment on the the activity/assignment ideas of at least the people in your main group by Monday, April 30.
  • Revise your activity workspace page by Wednesday, May 2.
  • Read and respond to discussion threads; start discussion threads, if you wish.
  • If you want to have a phone or Skype consultation with Barb or David, please send an email.
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Please note: all times are listed as Eastern Daylight Time.

Virtual session: Thursday, May 3

Watch the Screencast (MP4 Video 222.3MB May8 12) of the Day's session.

3:00-3:10 Introduction

  • Plan for the day
  • Sign-up for discussion topics
  • Plan for the summer

3:10-3:30 Presentation

3:30-3:55 Individual work on assessment and assignments/activities

4:00-4:50 Small group feedback on participants' ideas for activities and assessments
  • Your assignment is to hear the other current activity/assessment ideas from others in the group and provide feedback. Each person will have 10 minutes - the more you talk the less feedback you'll get!
  • Keep Elluminate on, but hang up the phone; call back in to 1-800-704-9804 using the access code for your group listed below. Appoint someone in your group to be the time keeper, and assign someone to report the best ideas that have come up.
    • Group 1 Access Code: 67482624 (Olsen, Knudsen, Faul)
    • Group 2 Access Code: 44295565 (McGrew, Walsh)
    • Group 3 Access Code: 52792244 (Koziol, Walsh, Paulo H.)
  • Groups should hang up from group discussion at 4:50.

4:55 Call back in to main access code at 4:55.

4:55-5:10 Small group reports of best ideas that came up

5:10-5:35 Small group discussions on several topics
  • What can we do to increase relevance of MPG courses to students and the curriculum? Access Code: 67482624
  • What are some ideas for effectively incorporating GIS and remote sensing into MPG courses? Access Code: 44295565
  • What are some effective strategies for designing "hybrid" courses - a single required course in min and pet? Access Code: 52792244
  • Groups should hang up from group discussion at 5:35.

5:40 Call back in to main access code at 5:40.

5:40-6:00 Reports from group discussions

6:00 Sign-off.

Homework between now and the next session on October 25:

  • Complete the road check to let us know how the workshop is going for you.
  • Work on your course, assignments, and activities over the summer.
  • Prepare a "poster" for the online poster session to be held on Thursday , October 25. We will send an email to you when a template is ready.
  • Read and respond to discussion threads; start discussion threads, if you wish.
  • If you want to have a phone or Skype consultation with Barb, please send an email.
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