Lesson - Modular Self Pacing
Lesson Pages
Sizing Up the Barrier
Instructors in asynchronous settings often conduct the class according to a fixed schedule with due dates pre-assigned for all readings, assignments, etc. as if the course were synchronous. However, in asynchronous classes, there is opportunity to enable students to self-pace (to an extent) as they work through the course content. Students may choose to work ahead or take more time on course material for a variety of reasons, including schedule, the complexity of the material, or their interest in the topic. In this way, self-paced modules can be used to address some of the barriers students face when learning in asynchronous courses. However, it is also important to recognize that this method can also erect barriers, particularly for instructors.
Barriers for instructors may include a lack of awareness as to the benefits of self pacing, a lack of skill in facilitating student self-pacing, concern about pragmatic things such as timing for assignment grading, or fear that some students will not be able to manage their time and end up trying to do too much too late. Each of these is a legitimate barrier that needs to be addressed for self-paced modules to be utilized. Please consider the following scenario.
Scenario
Dean, Alisha, and Joanne are all taking the same asynchronous online course this term: Advanced Calculus for Engineering. The content for this course follows a clear linear path with foundational concepts that must be mastered before new concepts are introduced. All three students are engineering majors and are capable mathematicians and emerging engineers. This course challenges each of them, but in different ways.
Dean is returning to calculus after two semesters without calculus coursework. He finds the introductory modules very helpful because they review calculus skills that will be applied in the rest of the course. He needs time to go through the material in depth, re-reading, watching the instructional videos, and working through the practice questions before he feels confident enough to take the module quiz for a grade.
Alisha has taken a calculus course each of the preceding two semesters and finds that the information presented in the opening module is clear and familiar. She wishes to move through it quickly so she can spend more time on the next module, which introduces new concepts.
Joanne is planning to attend a two-week leadership conference in Dublin during the semester. She is worried that the expectations of the course and the weekly workload will interfere with her ability to focus on networking and professional development at the conference during those weeks. She would like to be able to either work ahead prior to the conference, or have the option to catch up after she returns.
The instructor for the course scheduled the introductory module quiz deadline at a set time. That date is too soon for Dean's preference (he feels he will need to rush through the material too quickly), is too late for Alisha's preference (she feels she is wasting time waiting until the next lesson is made available), and is not flexible enough for Joanne (it leaves her no real option for either working ahead or catching up).
Methods
Set up Prerequisites and Requirements
This method involves ‘chunking’ content into learning modules that represent discrete units to be completed during the course. These modules can be designed so that each one builds on the knowledge conveyed in the previous module. In this case, they should also be designed to be completed consecutively, with their completion set as a prerequisite for access to the next module. If care is taken to ensure that the modules require roughly the same amount of content and effort to complete, students will be able to estimate the amount of time it will take them to complete a module. This information will support students in their self-organization and self-management.
This process involves two elements: (1) Prerequisites and (2) Requirements.
- Prerequisites on Canvas block access to certain modules until the requirements for other modules are met. These are broad strokes. For example, the prerequisite for "Module 3" could be for students to complete "Module 1" and "Module 2." But what does "complete" mean in this case? That's where requirements come in.
- Requirements on Canvas refer to actions students must take within a module in order for the module to be considered "complete". These can be set such that they must be completed in chronological order or not.
Using this method, instructors can set up a progression within the course as they would in other settings (e.g. live classes, synchronous classes), but enable the students to pace themselves.
Example
In an introduction to statistics class, students must learn content in sequential order, moving from "Basic Statistical Concepts" (Module 1) to "Descriptive Statistics" (Module 2) to "Basic Mean Comparative Statistics" (Module 3) and so forth.
The instructor set the module up with the following requirements and prerequisites.
Prerequisite for Accessing Module 2:
- Complete Module 1.
Requirements for "Completing" Module 1:
- Mark "basic statistical concepts" reading as "done"
- Score at least a "3" in the basic statistical concepts homework
- Mark the "more basic statistical concepts" reading as "done"
- Score at least a "2" out of 3 on the statistical concepts quiz.
Notice that the "requirements" indicate what criteria must be accomplished in order for Module 1 to be considered "complete" (and thus fulfill the prerequisite for accessing Module 2).
This is what the requirements for Module 1 would look like in Canvas:
And here is the prerequisite for Module 2. Notice that they work in synergy. Module 1 will be considered "complete" when the requirements (above) are met.
Module 2 would have its own requirements for completion, then Module 3 would have both Modules 1 and 2 as prerequisites (or just module 2, since module 2 already has module 1 as a prerequisite). Etc...
Setting up prerequisites and requirements is easy after instructors have developed content for the modules that are to be used. Please check out these Canvas guides on how to make Requirements and Prerequisites, respectively.
Pro Tip: Using Quizzes as Requirements
If instructors wish to allow their students to take quizzes more than once, there are a few ways to do so. It is probably a best practice to uncheck the box "Let students see the correct answers" in the quiz settings if using quizzes as prerequisites with multiple attempts allowed. (Follow the links for more information.)
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Addressing the Additional Barriers
In the "Sizing Up the Barriers" section of this lesson, we noted that while this method addresses some barriers, it may contribute to new ones. Specifically, we mentioned:
- Instructor lack of awareness as to the benefits of allowing student self-pacing
- Instructor lack of awareness as to the methods to enable student self-pacing
- Instructor concern about timing for assignment grading
- Students' lack of time management in this format of self-paced instruction
The first two have been addressed in the preceding sections of the lesson. We address the other two in the remainder of the lesson.
Timing for Grading. Instructors may feel that the self-pacing method throws off their rhythm in grading assignments. For example, if twelve students complete a homework assignment or quiz this week, and another fourteen next Monday, followed by four who finish it later next week, it may be difficult for faculty to return three separate times (or more) to grade the task. Here we propose a couple of ways to address this, though there may be more ideas forthcoming!
1) Auto-grading. Use this Canvas Quiz feature for homework/quizzes and use questions that call for multiple choice, matching, or other objective responses whenever possible. This enables auto-grading, which means that the instructor needn't do the grading at all, and the students may progress as soon as they wish. This method can be used for homework as well as quizzes and tests.
- Multiple Due-dates. Instructors may consider setting a small array of reasonable deadlines. For example, instructors may use the calendar section of Canvas to set three possible deadlines (e.g. early, on pace, final) for the elements of a given module. Using the calendar section would mean creating the assignment only once, with a single due-date (in the assignments section of Canvas), with calendar events flagging times when students could submit early.
For the statistics module above, instructors could, for example, set the deadlines as October 10, 13, and 15, respectively. In this case, the instructor would grade any assignments turned in on or before 10th, return and grade any turned in on or before the 13th, and then return and grade those turned in on or before the 15th. In this case, students must be forewarned that the "final" deadlines are rigid and they must complete work by that time or face a pre-established consequence. This method is something of a compromise between more traditional instructor-paced courses and the self-paced courses here proposed.
Student Time Management. Some students undoubtedly need a degree of structure in order to keep themselves on pace to complete a course by the end of the term. Without such structures, they may leave far too much to the final month, week(s), or day(s) and thus severely damage the quality of their learning and submitted work. Here we propose a couple of ways to address this, though there may be more ideas forthcoming!
- Multiple Due-dates. This method, discussed in the "Timing for Grading" section above may help address this issue as well. It is a nice balance between structure and flexibility.
- Window of Time. A modified version of the above method is to set a window for submitting work with a clear "window opening" (when assignments will start to be accepted) and "window closing" (outer deadline) for assignments. For example, the outer limit for the first homework assignment may be September 15, perhaps the first quiz must be completed no later than September 30, and so on. Unlike the "multiple due-dates," there are not fixed times when students can submit work, but an explicitly open window up to the deadline, with natural and/or structured perks for completing work early. When using this method, it is important for instructors to clarify two points with their students:
(a) "Window closings" should not be treated the same as "due dates." Students should be actively moving forward regularly in the class and advancing as quickly as reasonable for their learning needs. This approach requires coaching students in the wisdom of avoiding procrastination. Doing so may mean that instructors are willing to give brief, once-over feedback to students who submit work in advance of the outer deadline, and thus improve the students' grades: a perk not available to those who wait until the last minute to make submissions.
(b) The instructor will need to be very clear about what happens if a student does not turn in work by a given deadline. Assuming instructors are using the prerequisite/ requirements model discussed in this lesson, this point may be of utmost importance (i.e. if a student doesn't complete quiz 1 by the deadline, it means they haven't even gained access to the next module and are falling dangerously behind).
- Models of Completion. In conjunction or in lieu of the above models and methods, instructors may also wish to provide students with a few examples of trajectories for completing the course. For example, these may include strategies for moving quickly at first and taking more of a leisurely pace through the final project period or, conversely, a slower start to build up foundational understanding and then a faster pace through the middle application modules. It may also include a constant, steady model that may parallel the pacing if the class was live or synchronous. If these models include sample dates of completion for different tasks and projects, these sorts of models may allow students to compare their own speed and progress to the models to make decisions about whether they need to speed up or can slow down as they progress through.
Summary
Teaching in asynchronous course settings allows instructors to encourage student self-pacing. Canvas' prerequisite and requirement features allow for this approach to be very intentional and robust. Such self-pacing allows systematic flexibility for students who need more or less time working through certain elements of the course or the course as a whole. It also allows students to strategize if they know they will have other engagements or otherwise busy weeks and would like to get ahead or catch up on learning around those times.
This method does come with its own challenges and barriers (e.g. instructors must adjust to the changes this method brings to timing for grading, students may need to be supported in self-motivation to keep on track). However, these barriers are not insurmountable. Some intentional planning to address the said barriers may go a long way.