In this post, I will reflect on my academic experiences over three distinct semesters: Fall 2022, Spring 2023, and Fall 2023. Each period offered unique challenges and learning opportunities that have shaped my approach to teaching and personal growth. In Fall 2022, I embraced the traditional classroom environment, engaging directly with students and navigating the dynamic interplay of in-person teaching. I had gotten into the swing of things and was able to reiterate on previous semester’s material, just making minor adjustments for improvements. The following semester, Spring 2023, was a period of transition and focus; I took a step back from teaching to serve as a Teaching Assistant for the graduate course Knowledge Discovery in Databases. This break provided me with the much-needed time to organize and refine my proposal. Finally, in Fall 2023, I returned to teaching, but with a twist: the course was now online and asynchronous. This shift demanded adaptability and innovative approaches to maintain engagement and effectiveness. Amidst these teaching endeavors, I also reached a significant milestone by completing my proposal. Yay.
Fall 2022 Improvements
Reflecting on Fall 2022 brings back a sense of familiarity and continuity in my teaching experiences. During this semester, I found myself well-settled into the rhythm of traditional classroom teaching. My weekly routine involved lecturing one day and facilitating in-class activities on the next, providing a balance of theory and practical application. The students, deeply engaged in their portfolio projects and in-class activities, benefited greatly from the support of our three TAs. They had done wonderfully to effectively communicate and assist students both in and out of the classroom, enhancing their learning experiences.
In my previous reflection, I discussed three goals:
- Adding more activities or discussions to help students get more practice with interpreting their results and telling a story about the insights.
- Adding the “impact section” to all projects with more class discussions leading up to give them practice with the critical thinking needed.
- Providing a list of example datasets for each project that students can use.
I believe I successfully incorporated goals #2 and #3, but #1 could use more work.
Previously, we had added an “impact section” rubric section for the students’ final projects. However, we didn’t provide them with as much practice leading up to that as I hoped. With that said, we started incorporating an impact section discussion in each of the previous projects so they could get that practice with critically thinking about the possible implications of their work. With this, we also had more opportunities to provide them feedback and questions to think about.
A notable highlight of Fall 2022 was my involvement in a discussion about Student Learning Outcome (SLO) data. This engagement allowed me to delve deeper into the assessment process, specifically focusing on my course, ITCS 3162: Introduction to Data Mining. Discussing this further with Ms. Colleen Karnas-Haines, who was collecting assessment spreadsheets for faculty, I had the opportunity to align my course rubrics and learning objectives with the study’s outcomes for my course. By discussing my existing course rubrics and with her help, the resulting assessment was structured into seven components: (1) Defining the Problem, (2) Pre-processing Data, (3) Data Visualization and Understanding, (4) Modeling, (5) Evaluation, (6) Storytelling, and (7) Impact.
I enjoyed the emphasis on incorporating discussions about impact and ethics into the curriculum, a suggestion that was well-received. The collaborative effort in developing a detailed rubric for student course learning outcomes proved invaluable. My primary focus throughout the semester was to ensure that the coursework was effectively guiding students toward these outcomes. This period was not just about teaching; it was a time of mutual learning and adaptation, further shaping my approach to education.
For my Fall 2022 course evaluations, all 21 responses stated that they Strongly Agreed or Agreed to the statement that they learned a lot in the course and had a deeper understanding of the concepts because of this course. No responses disagreed with the statements that the climate of the class promotes learning and that the class was engaging.
Spring 2023: A Step Back for Growth and Focus.
Spring 2023 marked a shift in my academic trajectory. I decided to take a step back from leading my own course to assume the role of a Teaching Assistant for a graduate course. This period was dedicated to balancing my TA responsibilities with the demands of organizing my proposal. My duties were those of a TA’s role, such as holding office hours, grading assignments, and providing support to students. I was particularly involved in grading the midterm, final project, and final exam, as well as addressing student queries as needed.
Despite the fulfillment that came from assisting in the graduate course, I found myself missing the direct interaction and connection of teaching my own class. The joy and satisfaction I derived from guiding and working closely with students in my course were incomparable. Yet, this temporary shift was a necessary step. It provided me with the space and time to concentrate on my proposal, a task that had been looming for a while now. This semester was a reminder of the delicate balance between pursuing personal academic goals and nurturing the educational journey of others.
Fall 2023: Back to teaching! But online this time.
While I was excited to return to teaching, Fall 2023 brought a new set of challenges, as I attempted an online asynchronous format. Thankfully, I had previously recorded my in-person lectures, so I was able to provide students with these recorded materials, hoping to maintain the quality of the learning despite the distance. However, this format created a sense of disconnection. The absence of live interaction made it difficult to gauge students’ understanding and engagement. To bridge this gap, we implemented several strategies to try to enhance communication.
Weekly announcements and detailed guideline pages were crafted to guide students through their tasks, but an analysis of participation metrics revealed low engagement with these resources. In response, I began recording brief weekly videos, discussing the upcoming week in 5-10 minute segments, hoping to foster a more personal connection and clarify expectations.
Aileen Benedict 