MicroLabs

Since 2020, the University of Groningen has several Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs) in use. These rooms consist of multiple digital screens, flexible and mobile chairs and tables, and possibilities to create different configurations for group work. Working in these classrooms enables teachers to implement active learning, a didactic method supported by the Universities’ strategic plan. Teachers who have already taught in these ALCs are very enthusiastic about it! Maybe you are curious or willing to experiment with active learning as well.

In this MicroLab, you will get acquainted with one of these ALCs and dive into active teaching and learning activities. You will discover and discuss the possibilities of active learning with your fellow teachers. We will assist and guide you to come up with ideas to use these classrooms for your own course(s).

During this MicroLab, we will support you and provide:

• Help with exploring the features of the Active Learning Classrooms
• Course (re)design tools and tips
• Exchange of ideas with colleagues
• Inspiration for your own course
• Expertise in the area of active and blended learning

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this MicroLab you are able to:

• Design appropriate active teaching and learning activities
• Summarize the benefits of active learning for your courses
• Use the facilities in the ALCs to enhance active learning

Do you want to design successful blended and online courses? Would you like to know how you can find the right balance of online and offline activities for your course?

Join the Microlab Designing Successful Blended Courses! In this short course you will work on exercises at your own pace in our online learning environment while in the online synchronous session there is time for discussion, diving deeper into the topics, and sharing ideas and experiences with colleagues and the trainer. A central part of the course is the online practice environment in which you can practice with tools.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this module, you are able:

• deliberately choose online or offline learning and teaching activities that can be done asynchronously or synchronously
• create a clear blended course structure with diverse learning activities that fit the learning outcomes
• practice with at least one online tool that can be used in blended or online courses
  

Extra information

Prior knowledge on course design and assessment covered in the UTQ modules Designing & Evaluating and Assessing & Evaluating is assumed. If necessary, materials can be requested to update your knowledge.

Have you always wanted to increase the attention and motivation of your students during your lecture? Then join this MicroLab! In this short blended course you will learn what type of teaching & learning activities you can use to make sure your lectures will have an impact on the students’ learning process. A lot of research has been done in the field of brain learning, in this module we will share the latest outcomes with you. For example: how to stimulate students to write effective notes during your lecture. We will also answer the question on how to structure your lecture with a variety of activities and how to implement your plan into practice. The workshop really focuses on preparing you to try out an activity in one of your own lectures.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this module you are able to:

• Select active teaching and learning activities that match the objectives of your lecture, target group and group size;
• Develop a lesson plan for your lecture which consists of a variety of teaching and learning activities OR design a graphic organizer related to one of your lectures with instructions for your students OR provide a visual slide deck reducing cognitive load through dual coding for one topic of your lectures;
• Reflect upon your strengths and improvement points in lecturing.

This MicroLab was adapted from the MicroLab How to lecture with impact by Risbo, with their permission.

Would you like to enrich your course with open educational resources ? As an instrumental tool in reusing existing and creating innovative learner-centered resources, open educational resources (OER) are an interesting area to explore for UG teachers. In this MicroLab, information specialists from the UB and didactic experts from ESI will support you in (re)designing your course (in whole or in part) with OER. We will work alongside you and provide support with the hands-on work in the asynchronous assignments and the workshop.

MicroLabs are short workshops of 2 to 4 hours on a specific educational topic. In the MicroLab on OER, you will first work on some small activities in Brightspace at your own pace and in your own time. It is essential that you complete this part before moving on to the on-site workshop part of the MicroLab. During the workshop, you will work on redesigning your course with OER and there is time to exchange feedback. To conclude the MicroLab, you can choose to go for a proof of competence which results in a concrete output that you can use in your own teaching context.

During this MicroLab, we will support you and provide:

• Didactic advice
• Expertise in the area of open education and copyright
• Tips for finding and evaluating high-quality open educational resources
• Help with exploring all the cool things that can be done with open materials, such as reusing materials created by others or creating your own OER
• Course redesign tools and tips
• Platform for discussions and feedback
• Inspiration

Learning Outcomes

After completing this workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand how to use OER, basics of the copyright and open license
• Search strategically for OER most relevant to your subject area
• Evaluate OER based on quality criteria
• Design appropriate teaching and learning activities using OER

Do you want to use storytelling techniques to showcase your topic better and dovetail with the students’ learning process? Storytelling is one of the oldest and most effective forms of teaching. A well-told story enables the speaker (lecturer) and the listeners (students) to optimize the learning process by integrating cognition, emotion and imagination in the didactic process. Good storytelling is an art and a skill. A key aspect of this training is the concept of “practical didactics”; the integration of content, form and interaction with students.

This two-day training broadly covers the following topics:

• The techniques behind the art and skill of storytelling, and why they are effective for enhancing understanding and learning
• How to use storytelling elements and techniques in your own presentations, teaching, lectures and videos
• Translate storytelling techniques to creative modes of instruction in your lessons
• Strategies to better engage students and optimize their learning process

You will experiment with various practical-didactic techniques, and incorporate your learning into a presentation/lecture/video of your choosing. There will be ample room for tips and feedback on your presentation, from both your peers and the instructor(s). The exercises will alternate between brief theoretical explanations and practical application. You will have to conduct a certain amount of independent study before and between the two workshop days.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this MicroLab you are able to:

• Examine reasons for incorporating storytelling elements and techniques into teaching and learning activities.
• Compare different storytelling elements and determine which would be a good fit for various purposes.
• Design a presentation, lecture, or video to be used in your teaching/learning situation that effectively incorporates storytelling elements and techniques.

For many instructors supervising individual students is one of the most inspiring forms of teaching. However, this may come with its own set of problems and challenges, and often requires a unique skill set and approach. In this workshop, you will focus on your role as a supervisor to individual students. You will learn how to tailor your duties as a supervisor to the needs of your students and their thesis or project. While grounded in a theoretical framework, there is ample opportunity to share and discuss experiences with your fellow participants and the course leader.

Learning outcomes

After succesful completion of this course you are able to:

• Structure the different phases of the supervision process to meet your students needs;

• Define your personal supervision role;
• Analyze feedback according to the feedback principles.