Presenters at yesterday’s “Moving Dartmouth Forward” sessions, which focused on digital learning, spoke about the transition from Blackboard to a new online management system, Canvas, the College’s recent partnership with the online learning platform edX and possible plans to redesign large courses to feel more like seminars. The noon session attracted about 70 attendees, who were mostly staff and faculty.
Calling new learning technologies a “bridge” to improving students’ learning experiences at Dartmouth, the two presenters — director of academic and campus technology services Alan Cattier ’86 and director of digital learning initiatives Joshua Kim — discussed the College’s progress on digital learning initiatives as well as possible ways to improve offerings.
“There is no specific technology, there is no magic bullet that we’re recommending, but we are suggesting that a focus on the learner really could continue to put Dartmouth into a position it’s always been in, which has been a leader in teaching,” Cattier said.
The pair said they are working to restructure large lecture courses, focusing specifically on classes that serve as prerequisites to higher-level courses.
Throughout the presentation, Cattier and Kim posed questions to audience members, asking if students feel academically supported at the College and in what class they felt the most engaged.
The pair said they hope to pinpoint effective teaching methods at Dartmouth and apply them to classes that may not inspire much excitement in students.
Their goals include changing the design of classroom spaces to incorporate group interaction, integrating programs like Khan Academy, a website with instructional videos, and introducing a greater number of degree and non-degree blended programs.
Dartmouth’s decision in January to offer classes through edX, a platform for massive open online courses, represents one of its latest steps in digital learning, Cattier said. Dartmouth will offer four online classes through edX.
The College is also transitioning from Blackboard to Canvas, which Cattier described as more efficient. Canvas, he said, provides greater opportunity for student-professor interaction.
Instructional designers and other staff members, including librarians and media services employees, help professors use Canvas, easing the transition.
Kim stressed that the innovations can only be successful through a unified effort, adding that the ultimate goal is to bring students and professors closer together.
Kim noted that while many students have strong opinions about campus social issues, they are generally less vocal and more accepting when it comes to classroom matters. Thinking critically about technology and how it can improve learning is essential, Kim said.
While the staff working on these initiatives may be well-versed in faculty opinion and research in digital learning, they want to ensure that students’ voices are heard, Kim said.
Holly Ceplikas ’13, a presidential fellow who works in the office of the president, agreed that some courses at Dartmouth could be redesigned to be more hands-on.
She contrasted an introductory psychology lecture class enrolling over a 100 students to a smaller class at the Tuck School of Business, which was more interactive and contained a mix of group projects and lectures.
Students interviewed described various digital learning technologies in the classroom, including online lectures and language programs.
Sam Farid ’15 said that his biology class on gene expression and inheritance uses online lectures.
“It’s nice because you can pause it and take notes, but they tend to be kind of boring and not very interactive, so it’s a trade off,” Farid said.
In introductory French classes, Katie Milligan ’15 and Tory Wallace ’15 said they used the online platform “Connect” by McGraw-Hill for weekly grammar and vocabulary assignments, essay prompts, videos and voice recordings.
The next “Moving Dartmouth Forward” discussion will take place on April 7 and focus on professional development initiatives.
