Mobilizing Faculty into the Future: Using Online Technology as Teaching Tools

5. I liked this project because it was a different way for me to learn about this course and how it would be set up.
Comments based on challenges encountered in the process of completing the assignment:
1. Once I figured out how the program worked it when really well.
2. I found the technical difficulties we encountered quite frustrating.
3. After we got the technical difficulties sorted out, it was fun to play around with!
Survey Question #4: Please share additional comments and suggestions.
1. This was a great way to interact with others and learn about all the different tools in D2L. I enjoyed it!
2. I strongly urge you to keep doing this. It really helped me find things in the syllabus and in D2L that I wouldn't have
even looked for!!
3. This would have run a lot more smoothly without the technology hindrances.
4. Thank you for introducing us to Prezi!
Assignment as Given to Students:
Prezi link: ECE 228 Collaborative Scavenger Hunt
http://prezi.com/hgrfcuwmwota/ece-228-collaborative-scavenger-hunt/utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
Assignment Steps to Completion:
This small group assignment involves collaborative communication, planning, investigation, and fun! Dr. Linn will assign
you to small “teams”. You will begin this initial assignment during our first scheduled class session. A few tips to
help your team get started:
• Visual learners may wish to print the Scavenger Hunt PowerPoint (accessible in D2L Content).
• Dr. Linn will provide a quick overview of the Scavenger Hunt Prezi before your team begins.
• Warm-up exercises: Prezi video tutorials http://prezi.com/support/
I suggest that you view the “Get Started” and “Collaborate & Share” tutorials as a warm-up before you start this
scavenger hunt with your team.
• After class time, post questions about this assignment in the D2L Assignment Q & A Discussion Forum. I hope you
enjoy this collaborative learning journey perspective/viewpoint/opinion/belief. Be honest, respectful, and show me
some effort and insight. This will determine your score out of 20. You will submit “anonymously” but leave your student
ID at the end of your comment, so only I can identify you. Your comment will NOT be visible to you or others; I
“hide” them so no one else can read your views or copy what someone else says (when you submit it will say something
like “awaiting moderation”).
Methodology 1 - Purpose:
As a higher education course instructor, I have routinely observed that student success is often impeded by ineffective
organization, time management, and resourcefulness skills. The way we start something has an impending influence
on the way we finish. When students begin a semester with limited awareness of the course requirements and
resources, confusion leads to frustration, frustration leads to inefficient learning, and inefficient learning often leads
to failure.
As a higher education instructor, I invest extensive time developing course materials (i.e. the syllabus, an online
course learning environment, related learning resources, assignments, and rubrics) designed to support students’ success
as learners. However, each semester, I encounter students who do not take the initiative and personal responsibility
necessary to access, review, and utilize these course materials. This leads to confusion, frustration, inefficiency,
and varying degrees of failure for the student. I also experience degrees of confusion, frustration, and questions
of self-efficacy as their course instructor.
If students begin the semester with limited awareness of course requirements and resources that are available to
them as learners, they frequently struggle and experience stress that impedes learning. If their struggle persists
throughout the semester, they consume additional time from their peers and course instructors as they seek additional
assistance. Typically, their grades are negatively influenced. When students do not learn to plan and manage
their time effectively, they often become overwhelmed, discouraged, and may feel defeated. This negative spiral
becomes a retention concern for university faculty.
Methodology 2 - Process:
Development of the Collaborative Scavenger Hunt required some advanced thinking, planning, and reflecting prior to
the onset of the new semester. I began by determining the type of social media platform that I would utilize. As one
of the existing ECE 228 course requirements, students are required to utilize Prezi to complete another collaborative
assignment: a Theories Mind Map. Thus, providing an introductory learning experience that would help them
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