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2022-23 FLCs

During the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters, the following communities met to research and develop actionable insights to inform online teaching and learning practices within the University. Two communities were selected through a CFP process. A third community focused on H5P is funded and guided by a Louisiana State Board of Regents eLearning Innovation Grant.

Read more about each community and the results of their efforts below:

CUREs: Course-embedded Undergraduate Research Experiences Online

Facilitator: Sherry Krayesky-Self, Ph.D., Student Center for Research, Creativity, and Scholarship (SCRCS) Director

Members: 

  • Erika Caramillo-Hatch
  • Tammy Hall
  • Thomas Cline
  • John Laudun
  • Rachel Ellison
  • Ismatara Reena
  • Farzad Ferdowsi
  • Scott Sittig

The purpose of this FLC was to build Student Research Experiences (SREs)/Course-Embedded Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) into online courses.

UL Lafayette defines a SRE as a sustained effort by a student to apply subject knowledge, skills, and abilities to a project that is valued by the discipline.

While there are a lot of virtual experiences that can provide a multitude of possible outcomes to a virtual experiment and teach students skills, authentic research experiences cannot be pre-recorded. They are harder to design in any class environment. Adding them to an online course presents unique challenges, such as engaging students and producing “teachable moments.” 

The community met regularly from October-April, exploring effective tools and outlining specific plans in order to include SREs / CUREs in online or hybrid courses. The community read and discussed Course-Based Undergraduate Research: Education equity and High-Impact Practice (edited by Nancy Hensel), and actively worked toward the following goals: 

  • Formulated a list of best practices for faculty to use while participating in SREs while teaching or educating students in the online environment.
  • Designed CUREs for the classes taught by each member of the FLC team.
  • Produced a list of references and helpful links for faculty to use while teaching or educating using CUREs in an online environment.

In designing their CUREs, the community adhered to the following Course-Embedded SRE criteria:  

  • The SRE is embedded in the course curriculum.
  • All students in the class engage in the SRE in some fashion.
  • The specific outcomes of the SRE are unknown to faculty and students beforehand.
  • Students work collaboratively as much as possible.
  • SRE projects introduce students to the professional research methodologies of the discipline.
  • Outcomes of the SRE are communicated to a stakeholder that is not the course instructor of record.

Results:

Summary of 2022-2023 FLC CUREs
CUREs Handbook of Best Practices

Applying Microsoft Teams to Online Learning and Instruction

Facilitator: Michael Hebert, DNP, RN, MEC, LHC Group ∙ Myers School of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Sciences

  • Tanya Beller
  • Tarrah Davis
  • Latasha Holt
  • Amanda Mayeaux
  • Bertha Myers
  • Tamla Springer
  • Mike Williams

This FLC focused on learning the practical uses for Microsoft Teams across work processes and instruction. Our exploration considered several use cases for Teams, including:

  • Communicating
  • Organizing
  • Scheduling
  • Meeting
  • Teaching

We also researched how MS Teams features integrate with the whole of the Microsoft 365 suite of products.

One of the benefits of using Teams is that you can access it via the web or installed app and even mobile apps for Android and Apple devices. For instructions on using the web, app, and mobile app versions of Teams, please visit the IT Service Desk Teams Support page. 

Results

Below are some short videos and resources showcasing the ease of using MS Teams to communicate with others on campus and also organize your University work!

Finally, if you’d like to set up your own Team to manage, you can fill out this MS Teams Request Form.

Enhancing Learner-Content Interaction with H5P

*Funded by a Louisiana State Board of Regents eLearning Innovation Grant.

Facilitators:

  • Kathleen Schott Espinoza, MA, Master Instructor, Geography, College of Liberal Arts
  • Marissa Lajaunie, MBA & RHIA, Senior Instructor, Health Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Sciences 
  • Penny Powell, Master Instructor, Biology, College of Sciences

Members:

  • James Kimball
  • Guolin Lai
  • Randy Gonzales
  • Jennifer Allain
  • William Schmidt
  • Jeffrey Lush
  • Jessica White
  • Valanne MacGyvers
  • Traci Brochard
  • Tricia Templet
  • Jennifer Hargrave
  • Barbara Marchetti
  • Christy Langley
  • Emily Blosser
  • Robert Garrie
  • Megan Breaux
  • Pavel Samsonov

This community met regularly throughout the academic year to provide peer-to-peer professional development and support for faculty to learn H5P and design interactive course content used to enhance online courses taught in Spring 2023. The H5P-enhanced courses participated in a controlled study to assess the impact of H5P interactive course content on student learning and engagement. These activities were funded by a Louisiana State Board of Regents eLearning Innovation Grant.

H5P is an interactive content creation tool fully integrated with the latest version of Moodle. It offers a robust and easy-to-use tool for creating interactive course content (e.g., quizzes, presentations, videos, images, activities, etc.). Learn more about H5P.

One of the most important factors contributing to student success in online courses is learner-content interaction. Interactive content has been shown to enhance learner-content interaction and improve student learning outcomes.

The community consisted of three sections, each led by one of the facilitators listed above. Learn more about their experience facilitating these communities. 

Results:

The faculty who participated in this community designed a variety of interactive content for their courses. Click below to view and interact with a sample of the H5P activities they created.

Link: https://view.genial.ly/64231265709d85001900bc74

 

The results of the controlled study are being collected and will be forthcoming.