Coming to class naked (Part 2)

The idea behind last year’s “Coming to class naked” blog post was to stimulate discussion of about what to do when students come to class unprepared. And boy, was I unprepared for the intensity of the responses. We heard from both faculty and students. Many people agreed with the idea of giving quizzes to encourage students to prepare, and many did not, citing that quizzes don’t help students become interested in the course content.

I’ve included a few of my "favorite" comments here, in hopes of re-stimulating the discussion.

“Students coming into the class who have just had another class or work will not be capable of using their brain to its full potential, because they have used up their “brain power” elsewhere already. This is why class time should be reserved strictly for listening, taking notes, and light participation, and not for squeezing the brain.”

“Whether or not I would prefer to learn your material over writing a graded paper for another class, the grade on my transcript is what follows me for the rest of my life. If you want to increase participation and learning in college, eliminate the entire concept of grades . . .”

“Everybody knows that college is a place to have fun in between mind numbing classes that are exercises in indoctrination rather than processes of growth. Those who do not share this sad and cynical view upon entry to school quickly discover the error of their ways.”

Minimally invasive learning

I just listened to a talk that challenges some very basic assumptions about teaching and learning. Sugata Mitra, a professor of educational technology at Newcastle University (UK), conducted experiments which led him to suggest that "an environment that stimulates curiosity can cause learning through self-instruction and peer-shared knowledge," a process he calls "minimally invasive learning." His talk was part of TED, a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading.

If you don't know about TED, you should take a look. TED describes itself as follows: "We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we're building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other."

Recent TED topics have focused on global issues, design, technology, culture, science, and the performing arts.

Use Sakai on your smartphone

We are currently testing an interface to Sakai intended for cell phones and other hand-held devices. To try it, go to this URL on your phone. Currently, users of iPhones and other devices that have a full-function browser should be able to use Sakai for Mobile. If you have questions about Sakai for Mobile, send email tosakai.rutgers.edu. Please include information about the make and model of your phone.

If you have a Rutgers NetID, you can create a Sakai site

Most students don’t know this—but anyone with a Rutgers NetID can create a Sakai site. Many students I know create and use Sakai sites for collecting information, chatting, and working on group projects. A Sakai site makes it really easy to create a joint bibliography, create drafts of papers, have group chats, and share resources.

You can find instructions for site creation in Sakai Help. Or you can attend one of our Student Site Creation training sessions on September 14, beginning at 9:30pm, in Scott 123 on the College Avenue campus or September 16, beginning at 9:30pm, in ARC 103 on the Busch campus.

At this session, we'll be happy to answer any questions that you have about Sakai.

What’s new in Sakai this year?

I’m very excited about the new tools that we put into Sakai during the summer. Now I can have my students use the (much-improved) Blog tool to comment on articles and on each others’ comments. I can download a list of site participants to add to a Google Doc so my students, in groups, can write collaboratively. There are so many more improvements that I’m still looking at. You, too, can see them here.Coming later this semester: Desktop videoconferencing through Sakai and Lesson Builder, a tool that allows you to structure and selectively release content.

Students: Is there a Sakai site for your course?

If you don’t see a tab for a course you think is in Sakai, check the Course Membership tool at the bottom of My Workspace after logging in. It will let you know if a site exists, and whether your professor has made it available yet to students. Contact your professor directly if the site exists and you don’t have an active tab for it.