Tag: Lisa Smith

Digital Humanity: Professing in Novel Times—Episode Eight

Published on by adsube
Joseph Thompson, PhD

Last month, Steven and I met up for a virtual hallway chat with Joseph Thompson, a Faculty Member in the Department of Psychology at Douglas College since 2019. Joe shared with us some of his experiences with online teaching this past Summer 2020, as well as some of his plans as he steps into the role of Facilitating Faculty Online (FFO) for HSS. Joe also discussed some of the ways his research can help us understand the process of building expertise, as it relates to the transition to being online instructors.  

Join the conversation by sharing your comments, observations, and suggestions with us!  

Until next time, 

Lisa and Steven 

Digital Humanity is recorded on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples of the QayQayt and Kwikwetlem First Nations. 

References

Joe studies experimental psychology and is not a clinical psychologist. For a explanation of the difference, see: 

American Psychological Association (2020). Understanding Experimental Psychology. Retrieved Dec 11, 2020 from https://www.apa.org/action/science/experimental.

Joe does not want to give the impression that intelligence tests have always been used ethically or that scientists are incapable of bias. For a brief discussion of the history of racism in intelligence testing see

Benjamin, L. T. Jr. (2007). A Brief History of Modern Psychology. Blackwell. 

For more information on the ethics behind the use of assessment tools, see

American Psychological Association (2017). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. American Psychological Association. Retrieved Dec 11, 2020 from apa.org/ethics/code.

For background on Transfer, see

Kimball, D. R., & Holyoak, K. J. (2000). Transfer and expertise. The Oxford handbook of memory, 109-122.

For the study behind Joe’s reference to basketball, see 

Keetch, K. M., Lee, T. D., & Schmidt, R. A. (2008). Especial skills: Specificity embedded within generality. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 30(6), 723-736.

For the notion that chess could serve as a model organism for cognitive science see

Simon, H. and Chase, W. (1973). Skill in chess. American Scientist, 61. 393–403.

We have only glossed over the messy process by which psychologists use science to improve their psychological tests. For further reading on the history and philosophy behind this process, see 

Slaney, K. (2017). Validating Psychological Constructs: Historical, Philosophical, and Practical dimensions. Palgrave Macmillan

For background on Joe’s research methodology, see

Thompson, J.J., Blair M.R., Chen L., Henrey A.J. (2013) Video Game Telemetry as a Critical Tool in the Study of Complex Skill Learning. PLoS ONE 8(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0075129

Digital Humanity: Professing in Novel Times—Episode Seven

Published on by adsube1 Comment
Jovian Radheshwar

This week Steven and I met up for a virtual hallway chat with Jovian Radeshwar, a Faculty Member in the Department of Political Science at Douglas College. We were also joined by our invited co-host, Rim Gacimi. Rim is a recent graduate from the Bachelor’s of Psychology program at Douglas College. Rim was an honours student and research assistant to Dr. Lisa Smith. Her work aims to better understand social behaviour and inequality using empirical research methods. Rim is also interested in socio-political discourse and was once a student of Dr. Jovian Radheshwar.

Jovian is a creative and enthusiastic instructor, who does not shy away from tackling everything under the sun when diving into international politics. We caught up with Jovian to chat about some of the ways he’s approaching the design of his online courses this fall. In addition, we wanted to hear his thoughts on how anti-racist pedagogy can help us navigate the chaotic world we find ourselves in.

If you want to read / watch more, check out some recommendations from Jovian:

– Maria Lugones, https://globalsocialtheory.org/thinkers/lugones-maria/

– The Great Hack,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Hack

– Democracy Now! Amy Goodman https://www.democracynow.org/

You can also check out the podcast he co-hosts.

– Jovian Moondough Show https://youtu.be/7fvzBqY-dm0

Join the conversation by sharing your comments, observations, and suggestions with us!

Until next time,

Lisa and Steven

Digital Humanity is recorded on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples of the QayQayt and Kwikwetlem First Nations.

Digital Humanity: Professing in Novel Times—Episode Six

Published on by adsube

This week Steven and I met up for a virtual hallway chat with Kira Tomsons, a Faculty Member in the Department of Philosophy at Douglas College. Kira is an experienced and innovative online instructor who enthusiastically delves into new techniques and methods for engaging students in virtual learning environments. (She is also pretty good with stick people drawings!) She shared with us some of the ways she is setting up her courses for Fall 2020. In addition, Kira reflected on how feminist care ethics can help us consider how to care well in these novel times.

If you want to read further, Kira has some suggestions:

Moral Boundaries by Joan Tronto

Moral Contexts by Margaret Urban Walker

Link to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry – https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-ethics/

Check out the Blooper Reel Kira shared with us!

Join the conversation by sharing your comments, observations, and suggestions with us!

Until next time,

Lisa and Steven

Digital Humanity is recorded on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples of the QayQayt and Kwikwetlem First Nations.

Digital Humanity: Professing in Novel Times—Episode Five

Published on by adsube

This week Steven and I met up for a virtual hallway chat with a Douglas College student taking courses for the first time online this summer. Among other things, Charlene is a mom to twins and has her sights set on a career as a dental hygienist. 

Digital Humanity: Professing in Novel Times—Episode Four

Published on by adsube

This week Steven and I met up for a virtual hallway chat with Eamonn O’Laocha a Douglas College Faculty Member in the Department of Business Management. Among other things, Eamonn is working with the Douglas College Facilitating Faculty Online Group and kindly shared some of his observations about the challenging path facing faculty. In addition, Eamonn spoke to some of the work he is doing to address tech inequity and access to education.

To learn more about his work check the full article  https://www.douglascollege.ca/about-douglas/news-and-media/news/2020/May/digital-devices-donations. Eamonn’s interview is full of excellent insights and reminds us all of the importance of understanding the ‘novel’ times we are in. 

We would like to acknowledge that we live, learn, work, and play on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples of the QayQayt and Kwikwetlem First Nations.

Dr. Eamonn O’Laocha
Dialogue with Eamonn, Lisa, and Steven—June 23, 2020

Eamonn referred to the work of Paulo Friere in the recording; here is a link to more information about Friere: https://infed.org/mobi/paulo-freire-dialogue-praxis-and-education/

Digital Humanity: Professing in Novel Times—Episode Three

Published on by adsube
Seren Friske

This week Steven and I met up for a virtual hallway chat with Seren Friskie. Seren is an Indigenous Psychology student, mental health advocate, community organizer, and activist living on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish People’s. She kindly and generously shared with us what’s it like to be an online student, as well as some of the important work she is doing to research and support better mental health outcomes for vulnerable and marginalized communities. We highly recommend you check out her interview to see things from a student point of view.

Dialogue with Seren Friske, Lisa Smith, and Steven Bishop—June 3, 2020

To learn more about some of the work that keeps her busy, check out the links below:

SARAVYC: https://www.saravyc.ubc.ca/person/seren-friskie/

IMPACTS: https://www.douglascollege.ca/programs-courses/faculties/humanities-social-sciences/sociology/impacts

Foundry: https://foundrybc.ca

Connect with her on Instagram @renfriskie

Please share your thoughts, comments, and suggestions with us as the podcast continues to grow.

We are Lisa Smith (lsmith65@douglascollege.ca) and Steven Bishop (bishops@douglascollege.ca).

We would like to acknowledge that we live, learn, work, and play on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples of the QayQayt and Kwikwetlem First Nations.

Digital Humanity: Professing in Novel Times—Episode Two

Published on by adsube

This week Steven and I met up for a virtual hallway chat with Dr. Sarah Hogarth Rossiter. Sarah shared with us what’s it like to be a contract instructor (on short notice) at Douglas College for Summer 2020. In addition, we chatted about some of her thoughts around the importance of critical thinking under COVID-19 times.

Check out her recent Burnabynow.com article, “We shouldn’t be second-guessing Dr. Henry during this crisis”

Listen to the Kelly Hunt song, “How Long” that Sarah mentioned for some food for thought while we’re apart. Check it out! https://youtu.be/ElwRHoDOjpE

Please share your thoughts, comments, and suggestions with us as the podcast continues to grow.

We would like to acknowledge that we live, learn, work, and play on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples of the QayQayt and Kwikwetlem First Nations.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Digital Humanity: Professing in Novel Times—Episode One

Published on by adsube

with hosts Lisa Smith (Sociology) & Steven Bishop (Learning Design)

With the spread of COVID-19 across the globe, the Summer of 2020 is profoundly different for Douglas College faculty, staff, and students. Winter 2020 ended abruptly with a move to on-line teaching for the remainder of the term. For folks teaching summer courses at Douglas College, for the first time ever, all course instruction will be on-line. Dare we say that the phrases, ‘I’m scrambling…’, ‘I’m freaking out…’, and ‘when will this be over’, have certainly become common enough! We are just beginning to realize the vast and far-reaching impacts of this virus on individuals and communities across the globe. Many members of our community are grappling, both directly and indirectly, with the fallout of this massive social upheaval.

For instructors there is an imminent and ongoing need for technological support; however, the nuts and bolts of navigating on-line teaching are not the central focus of this podcast. This podcast is about hearing from DC faculty, staff, and students, as they navigate through the on-line realm in these novel times.

We had many questions at the outset of this podcast:
What was it like to move everything on-line within a week?
What things did you try, but found didn’t work?
How do you build a sense of connection and community when teaching in on-line spaces?
How do you cultivate presence as an instructor when teaching on-line?
How do you manage the complex patterns of inequality that continue to shape how students gain access to education?
Are we aware of all the ways our students are impacted by COVID-19 (emotional, physical, and beyond)?
What kinds of things do you consider when making choices about content delivery?
What is it like to instruct from home? To learn from home? To work from home?
What expertise can you share with us to help us understand the social changes that are unfolding?
What are your hopes, fears, worries for this time?

Even though the questions are complex, the format is simple. Guests are invited for virtual hallway chats. We record the conversation and share with others. We chose the hallway chat model to replicate one of the benefits of the close quarters we inhabit as HSS Faculty. We have the privilege of ‘running into’ each other throughout the term. We find these conversations rich opportunities for learning about the work of our colleagues, trouble-shooting small issues, or even delving into deeper reflection. For each chat session we will post any additional reading materials that are mentioned in the recording.

We invite you to listen, share, and create with us as we explore the depths of our new digital humanity.

The first podcast is an interview with Joseph (Joey) Moore, Professor of Anthropology and Sociology at Douglas College. He has research interests in environmental sociology, urban sociology, and social movements.

Hallway Chat 1: Joseph Moore (Sociology)

Steven and I were pleased to welcome Dr. Joseph Moore, Sociology, for our first virtual hallway chat.

In this chat, Joey mentions Arlie Hothschild’s book, The Time Bind: When Work Becomes Home and Home Becomes Work, first published in 1997.

Check out his co-edited collection, Sociology of Home: Belonging, Community, and Place in the Canadian Context

https://www.canadianscholars.ca/books/sociology-of-home

Digital Humanity – Episode 1

Joey sent us this link to an University Affairs article with ideas on “humanizing an essentially dehumanizing medium.”

Staying human in the Zoom boom

We would like to acknowledge that we live, learn, work, and play on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples of the QayQayt and Kwikwetlem First Nations.

Podcast! Encourage your students’ voice

Published on by adsube

 

Lisa Smith and Steven Bishop facilitated a workshop at Douglas College that opened up discussions about listening and encouraging student voice, examined Lisa’s process of developing a podcasting assignment in her Gender and Youth Cultures class, and provided some basic audio recording information. The workshop included:

  • Listening as practice (activity)
  • A case study of the development, implementation, and showcasing of a classroom podcast assignment
  • Examples of student and expert podcasts
  • Skills inventory (activity)
  • Technical overview of audio recording, editing, and producing
  • Live recording demo with Audacity software and Yeti microphone
  • Full group discussion of how to bring this approach into the class

Link to the PODcast! Presentation

Link to Podcast Workshop Resources (Google Document)

We would like to acknowledge that we live, learn, work, and play on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples of the QayQayt and Kwikwetlem First Nations.

Podcast Pedagogies – Episode III

Published on by adsube

In this final podcast of the series, Steven Bishop and Lisa Smith, sit down with Kelsey Huebchen, a Douglas College student who was enrolled in GSWS 2101 and completed a podcast as part of her course work. From an instructor perspective, Lisa discusses some of the benefits of exploring podcasting as a pedagogical and evaluative tool. Kelsey reflects on some of the differences between producing a podcast and writing a research paper.

Listen to the podcast

Lisa recommends instructors keep in mind the following if considering podcasting as an assignment:

1) Introduce the idea early on in the course.

In my class, I discussed the podcast assignment in-depth on the first day of class and had printed copies of the assignment guideline. I took time to go through this with students to ensure that they understood that this was a part of the course and that they would have time to acquire the skills / knowledge required to complete this assignment. 

2) Identify student skills and concerns early on.

In the second course of the semester, I had students work in groups to complete a questionnaire that identified concerns about the podcasting assignment, as well as any existing skills that they already had that would be helpful for this project (for example, do you know how to use the voice recorder on your phone). Following this, we conducted a “skills inventory” of the class as whole. This was really helpful for identifying the different skills that students already had, but also which students might be able to provide assistance to others.

3) Keep podcasting as a subtle, but constant theme throughout the course

Each week, we would listen to a podcast in class. This allowed us to use podcasts as a way to get further into topics we were reading about, but also allowed me to share different kinds of podcasts with students to demonstrate that there were different ways to approach this assignment. Students enjoyed discussing the subject matter in the podcasts, as well as the various elements of production. 

4) Focus evaluation on the planning / organization / research for the podcast.

For this assignment, only a portion of the total grade was based on the actual finished product. Further, students were not graded on the technical quality of the podcast. 

5) Establish a reasonable time limit for the final podcast product.

As an instructor, keep in mind that you will need to listen to ALL the podcasts. Be sure to consider how much time is reasonable for you to spend listening to podcasts at the end of term.