HOW ONLINE EDUCATION CAN HELP SAVE OUR WORLD

Here is a sentence for you:  Wealth inequality begins with education inequality.  

I believe that sentence and I believe we as educators need to work as hard as we can to provide a high-quality education for as many people as we possibly can across our world.  The world has desperate needs and this needs to be at the top of that list.

Live education is absolutely wonderful.  I love walking into class each day in order to teach 20-30 college students.  However, I think I could do more good on this planet by trying to provide a high-quality education to 5,000 students around the world.  And, that requires online education.  

The Virginia Society of CPAs asked me to give a virtual speech this morning to a group of educators describing my experiences in teaching online courses and live courses.  Trust me, they didn't have to ask twice.  This is a topic I feel very strongly about.  

After giving the presentation, I came home and opened up Zoom and did it again so that I could record it.  The YouTube link is below.  I have given a lot of speeches about education over my life but I don't remember giving one where I felt more passionate about the topic.  

I hope you will watch a little or a lot or all of it twice.  More importantly, think about your teaching and your school.  How can you provide a high quality education to as many people around the world as possible?  We are teachers.  This should be what we do.

Please pass along the link to anyone who might be interested.  

https://youtu.be/ukY9qVux2dM

MARKETING YOUR COURSE

Author’s Note.  Before I start today’s essay, I want to make an offer.  In the fall of 2020, I created an online financial accounting course for the Robins School of Business here at the University of Richmond.  Rather than try to mold a live class into an online course, I honestly tried to rethink the whole process from start to finish.  I used some of what I had learned from the book Make It Stick as well as my 50 plus years of college teaching.  The online course seemed to go quite well.  We started in August with 74 students and we finished in December with 74 students.  No one failed. 

One of the common arguments against online education is that it is “watered down” and of a lower quality than live classroom education.  I focused on that challenge as I created each component of the course.  In the fall of 2020, approximately 70 percent of my students completed the school’s student evaluation forms.  From my perspective, here are two of the most interesting results.

--The course required you to think critically -- 4.672 on a 5.0 scale.

--The course significantly increased your knowledge of the subject -- 4.629 on a 5.0 scale.

For an introductory level course where virtually none of the 74 students would ever take another financial accounting class, I thought those results were good.

My point is this – for many important reasons, the world needs better online education.  That should not be the only alternative for student learning but it needs to be a better alternative.  As teachers, we need to educate more people.  We need to educate them better at a lower cost.  If it is well done, if it well designed, if it properly carried out, an online course can be a very efficient way for students to learn.

Online education does not have to be watered down.  It does not have to be a weaker version of a live class.  We need to really focus on how to make online education work better so that many more people can learn our subject matter. 

I have all of this material left over.  I have spent the last six months getting it organized.  If you are interested, I would be happy to share it with you. 

--I can show you how to use it to supplement your live or blended class. 

--I can show you how to use it to create your own online course. 

--Even if you never teach financial accounting, you can study it to stimulate your personal thoughts about online education.  We need more teachers thinking more deeply about online education. 

I used videos, guided readings, sequenced learning questions and answers, audio questions and answers, and a whole lot of quizzes.  I emailed the students each morning at 6:30 and said, “Here is what I need for you to do today.  We will have a quiz in 3 days.” 

It is not a perfect system, but I think it can be used to teach students efficiently.  Or, the materials can be used as a foundation for an even better program. 

If you are interested in seeing some of this material, send me a note at Jhoyle@richmond.edu.

If you know someone who might be interested, please pass along this message.  Thanks for your help.

**

Blog.  My spring semester classes start on January 10, 2022.  Registration for those classes took place last week.  I waited two whole days and then I emailed a long note about the upcoming semester to each of the students who had registered. 

Why would I do this?

--I want every student to walk in on the first day of class excited about the possibility of learning.

--I want every student to walk in on the first day of class understanding what I want from them. 

--I want every student to walk in on the first day of class feeling that they have the ability to do well in this class.

--I want every student to walk in on the first day of class believing that the material will be worth learning.

My students have all been in school for a large portion of their lives.  Too often, they are full of dread rather than anticipation.  Over the years, many of them have suffered through some dreary education.  I think this is one of the saddest parts of my job.  Students rarely arrive at class thrilled by the prospect of learning.  For them, there is just not enough joy in the idea of learning.

So, I will spend the next two months trying to get them to believe in me, to believe in themselves, and believe in the value of what I am going to teach them.  If I can win this marketing campaign, the quality of the learning in these spring classes will have no bounds.  That is what I want.  I want every class to be the best that anyone has ever seen.

So, what did I actually say to these future students in this introductory email?  How did I market my course to them?  Here are a few of the comments I thought were most relevant.

“I am delighted that we will be working together. I have taught this class most semesters for the past 50+ years.  I firmly believe that it is the most important course in the B-school and, in my opinion, the most interesting course (and, despite its reputation, it can be the most fun).”   

“There is not a day that goes by in this class when we are not trying to understand something important.   I’m not here to waste your time.”

“Attitude is always important.  Teaching students with a mediocre attitude is a trial.  Teaching students with a positive attitude is a joy because you can help them leap tall buildings with a single bound.”

“I want YOU to make an A.   There is no crime in making a B or a C in such a challenging course but there is a crime in shooting for a B or a C. The world needs more bright young people with serious ambition.”

“Go to any of the junior and senior accounting majors you know (in your fraternity/sorority, your dorm, or wherever) and ask the simple question, ‘I want to be one of those people who makes an A in Professor Hoyle’s 302 class.   What is the key?   Don’t try to scare me because I’m not going to run and hide.   I am not a timid, frightened mouse.  I want to make an A.  How do I go about reaching that goal?’  My guess is that they’ll give you good advice.” 

“The list of students who are well prepared every single day for my class and the list of students who make an A are pretty close to the same list.”

Okay, I could go on and on, but the message needs to come from you.  What message do you want to convey?  You are trying to get a head start.  You want to get the students interested in the class before they start dreading it as a dreary chore. 

I will write my students a few more times before the spring semester begins to give them other suggestions on getting ready for my class.  Nevertheless, the marketing key is this first communication where I try to set the tone for the entire spring.  “This course is interesting and fun and challenging and worthwhile” rather than letting them tell themselves, “This is going to be soooo boring and useless.” 

When it comes to convincing students to do the work you require, aggressive (but thoughtful) marketing is never a bad idea.

Tips from an Online Teaching Amateur

A friend of mine is looking toward the fall semester and the possibility of teaching through distance learning.  He knows that I have participated in distance learning since March 13, 2020, (but not one second before that).  Because I have almost two months of experience, he asked me for my advice as if two months made me an expert.  Here are my comments. 

I've been watching some webinars about teaching online and you can certainly pick up hints and tips now and then.  When you watch a webinar, you'll figure out quickly whether it is going to be beneficial for you.  Stay with the ones where you feel that you will benefit.  

I think it is important to start off with the right mindset.  I like the quote, "Fall in love with the problem, not the solution."  I think that type of attitude helps an awful lot.  I know a lot of people who start off with, "I'm just going to hate this."  And, surprise, surprise, they hate it.  In life, attitude is everything.  Never feel that you have grown so old and boring that you are not ready to take on a challenge. 

Main pieces of advice.

--Communicate often with your students but don't be too wordy.  They need to hear from you (a few sentences) virtually every day.  However, they are not looking for a sermon or a lecture.  A little guidance and encouragement will go a long way.

--Be encouraging but make sure they know you are not reducing your standards.  Online education has a bad reputation for being watered down learning.  Starting with the first email on March 13, I wanted my students to know that I was not going to tolerate that kind of thinking.  "Do what I ask you to do and you'll learn just as much as you would sitting in my class" is something I chanted like a mantra.  

--Give them very specific things to do and give them deadlines.  It is easy for them to get confused about what you want or expect and when.  Most of them don’t have other students to give them direction if they need it as in a face-to-face class.  

--In everything you do, give them some way to respond so you keep them engaged.  Anything that lasts for more than a few minutes without a specific response from them is probably going to put them to sleep.  

--I gave a lot of assignments where I established a fairly low benchmark grade simply to measure effort.  "There are 10 questions now available on Blackboard.  If you get six of them right, I'll add a point to your effort grade."  I always felt that if I had good materials and could get a decent effort, then we would be okay.

--This is not about adapting.  It is a different system of education.  Rethink everything. 

--Learn as much as you can about Blackboard or Canvas or whatever Learning Management System your school has.  No one uses all of those tools but you want to figure out what fits into your style.  Think about what you want to do and then see if someone can show you how to do that in the system.  Other professors are willing to provide help.

--Mix things up so the students are seeing different types of learning experiences.  For example, I used a lot of True or False questions for learning purposes.  They are quick and easy to write and they tend to focus on specific factors.  They are like a toggle switch.  One way is false.  The other way is true.  You are focusing the student's entire attention on that one factor and which way the switch is set.  I thought that worked well in distance learning when it would never work in my live class. 

--Set up a series of PowerPoint slides and use them to make a video.  I try to keep them under 8-10 minutes.  Keep the words on each slide down to under about 25.  I always address a problem and give it to the students in advance and ask them to solve it.  Again, you want them to do something.  You want there to be a back and forth between the material and the student.  You don't have to be Steven Spielberg but a video does give you a way to talk directly to the students.

--Whenever you give them an assignment, tell them how long the assignment should take.  They never seem to know whether something is a 5-minute effort or a 60-minute effort.  They'll likely give you 70 percent of what you ask for in terms of time so keep that in mind.

--Don't get obsessed by whether they are cheating.  I know that is always a risk in distance learning.  Do what you can to prevent it but it is easy to spend too much of your time worrying about that.  

--Ask the students now and then, "What is working?  What is not working?"  They are actually getting a lot of experience in online education and can give you some interesting pointers.

--Whether it is Zoom office hours or just use of email, give them an easy way to contact you so they know they can get help when they need it.

Twelve Questions to Address About Distance Learning

One of my favorite comments to myself about education and working with students is from James Thurber (if you don’t know Thurber, you are likely under 70), “It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” 

In that regard, in this blog post, I am seeking to identify the questions I should ponder as I assess this past semester’s experience and look forward to other possible distance learning adventures in the future. 

I left home for Spring Break on March 6 as a face-to-face teacher.  I returned on March 10 as a distance learning teacher.  Like most teachers in this position, I had no time to plan or develop ideas.  I had two courses to prep and 64 students to manage.  For the following weeks, all I could do was react, encourage, and experiment.  My normal motto of, “Do no harm,” was even more in my mind.  Some things worked better than I expected.  Other things flopped or just were not effective or efficient.  My students, though, seemed to work hard and had a great deal of patience for what I was trying to accomplish. 

Now, though, the semester is winding down.  I want to learn.  I want to do better.  I want to consider how I should adapt.  I want to open my eyes to new possibilities. 

So, I made up of a list of questions that I wanted to address with myself and with other folks that I know, especially those people who know more about distance learning than I do.  My list of questions is evolving but here is what I have so far. 

1 - How would you describe your classes (a) historically and (b) going forward – totally live, blended (a mix of online and live), all online/distance learning or something else?

2 - How many students do you normally have in a class?  Given your traditional style of teaching, what’s a maximum number that you could teach reasonably well?  How many could you teach well using distance learning?

3 - In a live class, teachers traditionally convey information through a textbook, other assignments, and classroom sessions.  What are the ways that you can convey information in a distance learning environment?

4 - In a live class, students are “encouraged” to actually prepare for class through graded assignments, pop tests, calling on people in class, participation grades, etc.  How do you get students in a distance learning class to do the assigned work and do it at the appropriate time?

5 - In a live class, scheduled class sessions form a structure.  If you plan to talk about Chapter 16 at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, then all of the students need to be ready for Chapter 16 by 9 a.m. on Wednesday.  In a distance learning class, how do you create a structure that keeps students reasonably well together?  Or, are you more inclined toward self-paced and don’t care whether students stay together or not?

6 - Colleges talk a lot about the development of critical thinking skills.  In a live class, that process is often initiated by using probing questions or assignments designed to help students begin to “connect the dots” for themselves.  In distance learning classes, how do you help students develop their critical thinking skills?

7 – In live classes, the assessment of critical thinking skills can be extremely difficult.  How can that be accomplished in distance learning?

8 - In a live class, if students start to get lost or confused, they can pose questions in class, they can come to office hours, or they can send emails.  Or, as the teacher, I can recognize that they are struggling through their answers or body language and ask them to come see me.  How do students pose questions to you in distance learning classes?  How can you encourage those questions?

9 - In a live class, the professor can give students tests 2 or 3 times per semester (or as needed) to assess grades but also to help students get feedback as to how they are doing.  In distance learning classes, how do you assist students in determining how they are doing and how often do you do this?

10 - In a live class, the teacher can watch the students and have a reasonable feeling that they are not cheating on tests.  In distance learning, how do you prevent students from cheating? 

11 - In a live class, grades are normally determined using some combination of papers, tests, and other factors.  How do you assess grades in a distance learning class? 

12 - Do you know anyone who teaches blended or online classes (anywhere) who really seems to have the knack for creating great courses?  I am sure there are people out there who really do a great job.  I’d like to talk with them but first I have to find them.  How do I find those people and how can I best learn from them? 

There are probably a gazillion other questions that I should be asking but this dozen provides a foundation for my exploration.  Wish me luck!