Course Discussions, Assignments, and Rubrics
Learning Activities Based on Learning Objectives
Module 4 in my course is all about the benefits of journaling and gratitude. The assignment and first discussion connect to the Level 2 Kirkpatrick assessment for module 4. The learning objectives for each week of the course are:
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Students will participate in a discussion board in which they demonstrate comprehension of the strategy and share ideas about how to make the strategy work in their lives. They will respond to at least 2 other people on the discussion board.
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Students will log their use of the strategy for 7 days.
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Students will write a journal reflection about the effectiveness of the strategy and ease of implementation into their own life. Additionally, they will reflect on whether they would like to continue using the strategy, or not.
The assignment you can see in Canvas (instructions below) requires learners to complete the log and journal reflection described in the objectives. Students are given a log template to fill out as they try the strategy presented in the module. After the log is complete, they answer the reflection questions to determine if the strategy is a good fit for them.
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This is the module 4 template for students to fill out:
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Below is the rubric for grading the assignment. The purpose of grading in this class is to ensure full participation and effort in preventing burnout and reducing stress levels. Due to the importance of actually trying the strategy, the log and reflection assignments are given 25 points each, a higher number of points than the comprehension quiz or discussions.
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The module 4 discussion allows the students to brainstorm a list of creative ways to practice gratitude and fit the practice into their busy lives. They can share ideas and think deeply about how to make the strategy work for them.
The second discussion assignment I will describe here is for Module 3 of the course. Module 3 is about how some of the biggest stressors for some educators originate from a government policy level. In this discussion activity the learners identify frustrating policies and who has influence over them. Then in a following assignment, they will build on their thinking by writing a letter in which they reach out to those influencers they brainstormed to try to make a difference and a change that would have a positive impact. The discussion format I chose to use was an embedded Padlet. The Padlet is embedded directly into the Canvas LMS. The embedded feature is very helpful because students don't have to navigate to different websites to complete the assignment. The weekly objective this addresses is: Students will participate in a discussion board in which they share their summary and ideas about how to make it work in their lives. They will respond to at least 2 other people on the discussion board.
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The Padlet discussion assignment is viewable on the Canvas LMS in the Module 3 thread. You can also see it at this link:
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The rubric for this discussion is available as a PDF or is viewable in Canvas.
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Each assignment includes detailed instructions. There are videos and written instructions that are comprehensive enough for most educators to follow, but not overwhelming for those who don't need the technical or detailed help. For example, this video was created to demonstrate how to contribute to the Padlet discussion. It is available for any student unfamiliar with Padlet, but it is not something that is required for students to watch. It's simply a resource.
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The course is being created on the Canvas LMS.
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To log in, go here: https://canvas.instructure.com/login/canvas
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Use these credentials:
Username: michellefarrell56+fake@gmail.com
Password: Testing321!
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You will need to look in the Module 4 thread for the Log and Journal Assignment and the Gratitude Discussion. Additionally, you will find the Policies Discussion in Module 3.