Thursday July 9,2:00-3:00pm
Title: Packback: Online Discussion
Discussion Leaders: Bob Gazzale, Monika Havelka, John McNeill, and Barbara Murck
Join Link: Microsoft Teams link will be posted on the CoP Quercus site (restricted access)

Description: This week’s CoP session is a discussion of our experiences using the Packback platform to encourage students to engage in online discussion of course material.  Packback is a discussion forum that uses AI to coach students to ask better questions for discussion and provide higher-quality answers, which may be particularly relevant as we move course components online in the upcoming year.  We will be hearing from members of the Economics department that have used Packback in their courses (John McNeill and Bob Gazzale), as well as members of the Geography department (Monika Havelka and Barbara Murck), about their experiences in using Packback to promote student discussion.

Homework:

• Briefly browse the Packback website

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Monday July 13 ,2:00-3:00pm
Title: Embedding Employability Skills in UK Economics Degrees
Discussion Leader: Cloda Jenkins, Center for Teaching and Learning in Economics (CTaLE), at UCL.
Join Link: Microsoft Teams link will be posted on the CoP Quercus site (restricted access)

Description: In this research project, undertaken with the Economics Network, we examine how UK economics departments are embedding skill development in their undergraduate degrees. Information collected from a survey is used to identify what skills are prioritized, what activities and assessments are used to develop the skills and what challenges academics face. We compare what is happening in degrees to what employers say they experience with recent graduates to understand what gaps there are between employer-needs and the focus of academics in economics courses. This leads to discussion of potential ways to narrow any gap.
Homework:

• Employability Skills in UK Economics Degrees – Executive Summary
• (Optional) Skills Development and Careers Support at CTaLE.
• (Optional) Video Introduction to CTaLE.

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Thursday July 16 ,2:00-3:00pm
Title: Experiences with a Variety of Online Course Delivery methods: ECO102
Discussion Leader: Nathanael Vellekoop
Join Link: Microsoft Teams link will be posted on the CoP Quercus site (restricted access)

Description: ECO102 Principles of Macroeconomics is a large, first-year required course. With the move online we chose a team teaching approach that used a variety of methods. This Summer the course was delivered fully online in asynchronous mode. In the first half, Loren Brandt delivered lectures live via Zoom and recordings were posted for students who could not attend. In the second half, Nate Vellekoop pre-recorded all lectures. Together we designed weekly assessments, which were a mix of short writing assignments and two types of Quercus quizzes, synchronous and asynchronous. The two term tests were synchronous. The session will discuss the reasoning behind this approach, lessons learned (especially around communication) and changes we will make for the next iteration. Part of the session will be an annotated reading of the syllabus and a guided tour of the Quercus site.

Lecture delivery: Zoom and pre-recorded lecture videos (Snagit).
Assessment Technology: Crowdmark tests and writing assignments, Quercus quizzes.
Interaction elements: Bb collaborate office hours and Piazza.

Homework:

• ECO102 Summer 2020 course syllabus

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Thursday July 23 ,2:00-3:00pm
Title: Introducing Open-ended Assessments in ECO101—Benefits and Costs
Discussion Leader: Kripa Freitas
Join Link: I will post Microsoft Teams link on the CoP Quercus site (restricted access)

Description: This summer ECO 101 ran completely online as an asynchronous course. The challenge was to design fair assessments that measure student learning in an online world and all that entails. I chose not to do synchronous tests, instead I had a wide submission window for open-ended, application-based writing assessments in combination with timed math based Quercus quizzes. This was a big change for ECO101 which has traditionally used multiple choice and short-answer type of questions with a single correct answer.  A change in assessments requires carefully planned learning activities and scaffolding during the semester. Doing this in an asynchronous format adds an extra challenge, which I addressed through module design. During the session I will discus the rationale behind my course design choices, lessons learned and student feedback.

Lecture delivery: Pre-recorded lecture videos.
Assessment Technology: Peer Scholar, Crowdmark, Quercus quizzes.
Interaction elements: Bb collaborate office hours, Quercus discussion boards and Quercus study groups.

Homework:

• ECO101 Summer 2020 course syllabus
• (optional) CTSI PeerScholar webinar recording (scroll down the page)

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Thursday July 30 ,2:00-3:00pm
Title: Assesments and Grading for Online Courses
Discussion Leader: Jordi Mondria
Join Link: Microsoft Teams link will be posted on the CoP Quercus site (restricted access)

Description: I will share my experience with group, writing and individual assessments from the Summer Online ECO 365 course.

Lecture delivery: Pre-recorded lecture videos.
Assessment Technology: PeerScholar, Quercus Assignments.
Interaction elements: MS Teams office hours, PeppeR, Quercus groups.

Homework:

• ECO365 Summer 2020 course syllabus
• (optional) CTSI’s webinar on PeppeR (scroll down the page)
• (optional) CTSI PeerScholar webinar recording (scroll down the page)

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Monday Aug 10 ,10:00-11:00 am *NOTE unusual time*
Title: Classroom management and student interaction interventions: Fostering diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the undergraduate economics classroom 
Discussion Leader: Abdullah Al Bahrani, Associate Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Economic Education at Northern Kentucky University
Join Link: Microsoft Teams link will be posted on the CoP Quercus site (restricted access)

Description:  The economics profession lacks gender and racial diversity, so interventions at the graduate and professional level have been introduced to minimize the effect of the “leaky pipeline.” Since economic educators lack training in classroom management and student interaction skills, I present interventions to increase diversity and inclusion by developing a sense of belonging at the principles level. I introduce low-cost interventions that target classroom management and student interactions for those who are interested in finding new ways to increase representation in undergraduate economics. To increase diversity in the economics profession we need interventions that will attract more diverse students and minimize attrition by establishing a career path.
Homework:

• (optional) AEA’s Best Practices for Economists – Working with Students.

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Thursday Aug 13 ,2:00-3:00pm
Title: Using Zoom and ProctorU to Invigilate Synchronous Online Assessments…and other technological challenges in ECO220
Discussion Leader: Nick Zammit
Join Link: Microsoft Teams link will be posted on the CoP Quercus site (restricted access)

Description: ECO220Y5 at UTM is offered as a full credit summer course with approximately 110 students enrolled.  Last Fall/Winter term I delivered the final exam in ECO220 last using ProctorU to invilgilate a Quercus quiz.  I decided instead this summer to invigilate term tests using Zoom with a team of TAs.  The first three term tests were Quercus quizzes and the final two were done using Crowdmark.  In this session I will discuss the pitfalls and some lessons learned in using Zoom, ProctorU and online invigilation to deliver synchronous assessments.  I will also walk through some of the other assessment methods I employ in ECO220 such as Socrative quizzes, Facilitated Study Groups, Data Projects in Stata and how they have been transitioned to online learning.  I will also include some student survey results indicating the student preferences for the various assessments I offered them and what challenges they faced in completing these assessments.

Lecture delivery: Bb Collaborate and pre-recorded lecture videos (Snagit).
Assessment Technology: Crowdmark tests/Quercus quizzes, Socrative participation, Stata Data Projects, Quercus tutorial/lab assignments, ProctorU Final Exam.
Interaction elements: Bb collaborate live lectures, tutorials/labs & office hours

Homework (restricted access):

• ECO220 Summer 2020 course syllabus

Emergency Online Teaching: Gearing up for Summer 2020