Flexible Learning strategies in Land, Food and Community series courses: Sharing Our experiences

The STLHE 2015 conference session Link: http://sched.co/3NSV

Our team:

Name	Course teaching	Position
Guopeng Fu		Post-doctoral Teaching & Learning Fellow
Will Valley	LFS 250 & 350	Academic Director, LFC Series
Alice Cassidy	LFS 150	Course Coordinator
Andrew Riseman	LFS 450	Associate Professor
Cyprien Lomas		Associate Dean, Learning Technologies
Eduardo Jovel	LFS 350	Associate Professor

What does Flexible Learning mean to you?

It is an approach that means different things to different groups of learners.

Think Pair Share:

• Multiple learning strategies, stakeholders, choices of assessment, and instruction.
• Different places and spaces: field trips, farms, industry, and community.
• Student centered, flexible access, constantly evolved, and adaptable.
• Emphasis on learning.

Different terms: Project based Learning, blended learning, mixed mode, flipped, experimental, democratic Learning .

Anytime, anyplace, anyone (multi-dimensional).

What does Flexible Learning mean at the University of British Columbia?

http://flexible.learning.ubc.ca/

UBC Definition

Evidence-based, technology-enabled teaching methods that improve the learning experience for a broader student community.

Land, Food, & Community (LFC) Series Definition

Flexible learning enables pedagogical and logistical flexibility in higher education, often facilitated by technology.

• Logistical flexibility – flexibility of location, time, pace of learning and credentialing
• Pedagogical flexibility – flexibility of delivery, interaction and media of instruction

A way to enhance learning outcomes to meet needs of learner, align with nature and requirements of discipline, and uses expertise of the instructor.

Faculty of Land & Food Systems

Undergraduate Programs & Specializations

• Applied Biology
  • Animal, Plant, Soil, Food & Environment
• Food, Nutrition, & Health
  • Dietetics, Nutritional Sciences, Food Sciences, Food Market Analysis, International Nutrition
• Global Resource Systems

Land, Food, & Community Series: Objective

To prepare students to become future professionals capable of working collaboratively to address integrative food system issues, such as food system sustainability, food security, and food sovereignty.

Land, Food, & Community Series: Core Courses

5 courses from 1st to 4th Year:

• LFS 100 - Introduction to Land and Food Systems (~ 300 students)
• LFS 150 - Intensive Scholarly Writing (5 sections, 150 students)
• LFS 250 - Land, Food, & Community I (~ 300 students)
• LFS 350 - Land, Food, & Community II (~ 200 students)
• LFS 450 - Land, Food, & Community III (~ 35 - 60 students)

The designing process:

• Plenary and tutorial sessions.
• Use of technology: E-lectures, UBC wiki, Wordpress course webpage, Connect online learning management system, library tutorial.
• Community-Based Experiential Learning (CBEL)

Improvement and challenges in implementation

Improvement: Flexible Learning strategies improved students' learning experience. The structures and interfaces used in the course created a rather different learning experience from the traditional plenary lecture experience. Most students enjoyed and appreciated the differences because these strategies stimulated students’ engagement with the course content in, out and beyond classroom.

Students valued the experience working in, for, and with the local communities. Working with people from various disciplines and backgrounds helped students understand LFS 350 content in real-world situations, “delivered concepts more efficiently” (reflection excerpts), solidified students’ career perspectives, and fostered group work skills not only with fellow students but also with community partners.

Different Flexible Learning strategies complemented and supported each other. E-lectures supported Community-Based Experiential Learning in terms of allowing time allocation for community projects. Instead of attending plenary lecture on a weekly basis, students watched E-lectures at their own time and used days to visit the local communities, to organize group meetings and to work with people outside the university. The flexibility made students “handle project and the lecture at the same time” (interview excerpts).

Challenges: Students found the multiple online interfaces could sometimes be overwhelming. In addition to wiki, webpage, Connect as the course technology platforms, some students used Google Doc, Facebook and emails to coordinate group work. Wiki page was introduced to the core series rather recently. Students found it frustrating to learn the functions and format but considered it helpful because “it allowed us to see how other groups were progressing..." (reflection excerpts).

Course evaluations:

Initial metrics 2000 to present:

• Course evaluations (Ranked high in engagement and active participation across North America (CFAVM 2007; NSSE 2006))
• Community feedback (Key informant interviews with community partners)

Strategic data collection from students, community partners, and teaching teams

• Grades
• Written assessments and reflections
• Surveys
• Interviews (individual and focus group)

LFS 100: Introduction to Land, Food and Community

FL strategies

• Content
  • On-line modules
  • Out-of-class experiences
  • On-line course notes
• Assessment
  • On-line quizzes
  • In-class Clicker quizzes
  • Digital photo-based assignments

LFS 150: Scholarly writing and argumentation in Land and Food Systems

LFS 150 wordle

FL strategies

• Content
  • Out of class homework linked to in-class activities
  • Library copyrighted course readings online
  • Some flexible Fridays
• Assessment
  • TurnItIn
  • Calibrated Peer Review (CPR)

Course wiki link: Course:LFS150

LFS 250: Land, Food and Community I

FL strategies

• Content
  • On-line modules (e.g. digital media skills & information literacy)
  • 4 of 26 sessions: Community-based learning activities
  • On-line course notes
• Assessment
  • On-line quizzes
  • Digital media presentations
  • Data collection, organization & representation

LFS 350: Land, Food and Community II

FL strategies

• Content
  • Flipped & Blended: 5 of 13 sessions in community
  • On-line course notes
• Assessment
  • On-line quizzes
  • Communication: Group Blogs
  • Digital media presentations
  • Wiki presentation of final reports

Course Flexible Learning Portal LFS 350 wiki link

LFS 450: Land, Food and Community III

FL strategies

• Content
  • Flipped & Blended: 7 of 13 sessions in community
• Assessment
  • On-line course notes
  • Digital media presentations
  • Wiki presentation of final reports

Campus Food System Project link: http://sustain.ubc.ca/campus-initiatives/food/ubc-food-system-project LFS 450 wiki link: Course:LFS450

Your use of Flexible Learning

ACTIVITY

• Consider how you might use it in the future

Content – Assessment - Course logistics – Other?

• Form a group of 3-4
• On index card (chatting as you go)
  • Example (if use FL)
  • Question (if do not currently use FL)

Summary of your key points and questions

• Questions – can anyone in room respond?
• Comments on comments?
• Open discussion

3 key take-home points

FL can enhance student learning through new ways of structuring

1. Engagement with content
2. Assessment strategies
3. Community of Learners

UBC’s approach to Flexible Learning

http://flexible.learning.ubc.ca/   View research papers and case studies

Find support on how to enhance flexible learning within your own learning environments