This fall I will teach a course about Swedish architectural history, it covers about 1000 years of churches, castles, parks, barns, apartments and university buildings. It is an online course and it has about 50-100 students. It is going to be necessary to make some changes to the course and my thoughts concern how to design, organize and facilitate for learning. Professor Gilly Salmon has developed a five stage model, a framework ”for a structured and paced programme of e-tivities” (https://www.gillysalmon.com/five-stage-model.html#). I will apply her model and see how it plays out. Will it help me find ways of making the students learn and work together? What e-tivities will support this?
The first step is 1) access and motivation. The typical student on the course is slightly older and have a professional background where architectural history is a relevant addition. This means that most students are experienced, motivated to learn and finish the course. However, they might have difficulties finding the time to participate in collaborative work. The course is an online course which uses Canvas, a platform that easily can be accessed by the student once they have been registered on the course.
The second step is 2) online socialization. All participants will be asked to introduce themselves online in smaller groups, these groups will then be acting as study groups where students can collaborate and support each other. A few assignments will be obligatory; however, the study group will be as active as the participants wants it to be. There will also be an opportunity to meet in real life as the course offers a one-day excursion. Some preparations will be made online before the excursion.
The third step is 3) information exchange. There will be two main forums for information exchange, one within the study group and one for the whole course. The study group will be able to discuss literature and content of the course while the information exchange involving the whole group will focus on practical issues that concerns the whole course. There will be an online schedule where all the activities and required reading is posted.
The fourth step is 4) knowledge production. Seminars, quizzes and written examinations will be important parts of the knowledge production. The study groups means that there will be opportunities for collaborative learning where everyone can contribute with their own knowledge to the group. In addition to these interactive activities, there will be a number of recorded lectures that relate to a seminar or a quiz. The seminars and examinations will invite critical thinking, applying concepts and terminology, judging and evaluating.
The fifth step is 5) development. At the end of each of the three sections of the course there will be an anonymous questionnaire where learning development as well as practical aspects of the course can be brought to the table. During the seminars there will be a short discussion about how the students are learning.
Applying the five step model high-lighted the collaborative opportunities of the course and made me add study groups and at least one seminar. Although, I feel that it is difficult to know how motivated the students will be when it comes to collaborating with other students. Many have limited time since they are working while studying. Another activity I added was the questionnaires that will help adress questions, difficulties and other issues during and only after the course.
The five step model seemed suitable for a course about architecture, by carefully planning the construction of the course I hope I can offer a structured and enjoyable learning experience.
Gilly Salmon, The Five Stage Model, https://www.gillysalmon.com/five-stage-model.html
Building Tradition and History, Uppsala University, https://www.uu.se/en/admissions/freestanding-courses/course/?kKod=5KV790&typ=1