Month: July 2015

One of the first of its kind, Mason’s hybrid online Education Leadership master’s program for mathematics specialists prepares teachers to take on leadership roles and explore school-based leadership issues. A required course for the program, Dr. Courtney Baker’s newly online section of EDCI 644: Mathematics Learning and Assessment introduces learning theories and associated assessment practices specific to math education. Through the successful integration of the synchronous learning tool Blackboard Collaborate, Dr. Baker is able to provide her students with the opportunity to gain networking and leadership skills while benefiting from the flexibility of the online environment.

“While the cohort model was nice for getting to really know a group of individuals, the open enrollment model that we’ve moved toward is great for networking and gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience from other new folks in the program,” suggests Dr. Baker. “Our students come from all different walks of life and experience levels. Certain things may or may not apply to you as a teacher or math specialist, but the most important thing I can give them is networking. They’re going to have to know that.”

Synchronous Engagement

A few minutes before the start of every class, Dr. Baker leverages the synchronous learning environment to engage students and provide an early bird resource slide. “Logging on early and providing these slides helps me to build those relationships and get students engaged with me as the instructor,” she explains. “Depending on the resource, students will log in early to talk about it, even though it’s not mandatory.” Dr. Baker’s unique facilitation encourages students to discuss topics that apply directly to their careers.

“I’ve had a few online classes at Mason and Dr. Baker’s were definitely on the top tier of engaging students. She varied the format, allowed for breakout discussions as well as full group discussion, and really utilized the online format as a classroom style as opposed to trying to fit in-person teaching techniques online,” shares online student Kathryn Pike.

Leadership Projects

Another exemplary aspect of the course, students appreciate Dr. Baker’s focus on meaningful and relevant coursework based around themes such as assessment, school change, and curriculum. Assignments include anything from conducting critical interviews with a student and researching learning progressions to coaching and collaborating with another teacher to craft a lesson plan. Students also have the chance to earn moderator access to lead discussion, engaging fully with Collaborate and learning to use it as a robust teaching tool.

“You can play with roles for people to take in a synchronous setting. I would make two or three people moderators each week,” says Dr. Baker. “There is also a trust in the process and letting go. Rather than feel the need to be in charge, I realize that they’re students and engaged in owning their own learning. This format gives them a chance to do that.”

Meaningful Connections

For online student Kimberly Hayden, the online format has proven especially beneficial in forging professional bonds with classmates, noting, “I have already established a network of close colleagues from the courses I’ve taken.” Her classmate Sara Binder agrees, “Much of what we do involves working with other people. Any field that works with others has challenges to it. It was great being able to ask questions and always have many different responses and ways to solve a problem.”

Binder continues, “Taking advantage of all of the different tools that the online interface allowed, Dr. Baker did a great job making everybody feel comfortable and have the ability to share our opinions with the class or with a small group while online.”

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Interested in learning more about the hybrid online Education Leadership, Mathematics Specialist Leader (K-8) Concentration (MEd) program? Check out our program profile here!

Open to all majors and fulfilling the Mason Core global understanding requirement, RELI 100: The Human Religious Experience allows students to expand their global mindset through the examination of various religious expressions and traditions in the contemporary world. Professor Susan Bond, who has taught the course for the past eight years, sees the online format as an opportunity to offer this experience to more Mason students.

Working with instructional designer Susan Campbell from Mason’s Learning Support Services (LSS), Professor Bond recently piloted her first online section in the spring. Using a situated learning approach, Bond and Campbell crafted the online course to teach students not just the facts but also to demonstrate that religion itself is a community practice.

Professor Bond notes, “Susan had knowledge of online pedagogy and how to create an online course, and I had the subject matter knowledge. We worked creatively to come up with exercises to help people engage in a creative way to learn about religions.”

A New Perspective

With such a notably diverse student body, Mason is the ideal community for students to explore and come to understand the many facets of the human religious experience. “I had students from Vietnam, India, Pakistan, Ohio, and New Jersey, and from all different religious traditions,” says Professor Bond. “That helps a lot in teaching this kind of course. Students bring in so many different experiences, so they learn not just from me but from each other.”

Hannah Seeling, a student from the online section of the course, found the format to be convenient and the content to be engaging. “As a psychology student it is very important to me to be able to relate to other human beings, especially outside my own religious traditions, so I felt RELI 100 would provide me with a great opportunity to do just that,” shares Seeling. “The weekly course content was engaging and interesting. It really challenged me mentally and widened my perspective.”

Creative Assignments

Topics covered in the course range from religious symbols and interpreting scripture to key figures and teachings such as the Dalai Lama and Lotus Sutra. One group project focuses on learning about Sunni and Shia Islam. Divided between the two branches, students researched within their groups and compiled information in a report, coming together as a whole class to discuss the similarities and differences.

“This method mirrors the way those two forms were created in the first place, including a lot of conversation and conflicting views,” explains Professor Bond. “If I was to just teach it, students wouldn’t get that one-on-one feeling of how they emerged in the first place.”

Seeling notes that this creative use of assignments inspires a continued interest in course topics. “Professor Bond really made the course exciting. Her creativity really flourished throughout the semester as each week she provided us with a cool and new perspective on assignments,” suggests Seeling. “She made learning about religion enjoyable as she engaged us through lectures, videos, and personal experiences. She made the course different than any other online course I have ever taken.”

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RELI 100 is offered in the spring and fall semesters and is open to all majors. Check for upcoming availability on the online courses page.