My First Learning Environment Model

The Opportunities Here are LEMitless...

Brad Griffith

I was excited to try out these modeling techniques for the first time and even more pleased in the end when it all made more sense as a whole environment.  For my first attempt, I chose an assignment that I give in my First Year Experience seminar:  the faculty interview assignment.  My true goal of this is to get students to have a conversation with someone who teaches in a field they may be interested in pursuing academically.  This happens about midway through the course because I want them to feel a sense of friendship in the course and an attachment to the university before sending them out to meet a random person.

 

My attempt at LEM.

 

Reading from left to right on this blueprint, you'll notice that I am the first to take action in the synchronous classroom environment.  I begin this lesson by presenting the assignment rubric and offering them examples of interviews, both written transcripts and audio recordings.  Following, we discuss their discipline interests.  Some students at this point do not have a specific interest, so I might help them determine that or pick a universal instructor. 

 

Next, I present information on email etiquette and we discuss how to locate faculty information using the campus directory and department websites.  Following that, I have students practice drafting an email request for an interview to a professor in groups.  We discuss these and I, along with the students, give feedback to each of the groups.  If there are major issues, I have them write a second draft and we discuss it again. 

 

At this point, students are directed to find contact information and email the faculty member of their choice.  I provide information online regarding possible interview questions and require students to submit them to me in advance of their meeting to give them feedback and make sure they are robust enough for a fluid conversation.  If they are not, I ask them to revise the questions. 

 

Students then will have to conduct the meeting with the faculty member in their office.  Following that, the evidence of meeting the learning objective arrives in the form of a portfolio submitted online.  They must provide reflection on their experience, documentation of the meeting, and format a summary interview transcript appropriately.  I then provide feedback with their final grade for the project.

 

I'm left wondering... what could I do to make this assignment better? It seems to me on the front end I'm left trying to get them to understand the value of this assignment and giving them examples of how they should be communicating.  With the LEM symbols, I can tell that more dialogue in this assignment might be beneficial.  I am making students interact with faculty members, but may not be providing enough of an opportunity to engage with their peers before they set out to complete the task.