MS Teams Training for Online Language Instructions
Learning Module
- Creator(s):
Course Overview
This training module is created for the demands of pedagogical grounded technology training for online language instruction. In late 2019, Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) was introduced to our institute originally as the internal communication tool for faculty members. Before the tool was popularly utilized, Covid-19 and work-from-home order shifted the instructional mode and conveyed MS Teams to be the primary online learning platform. Many training sessions were held mainly focused on technical functions. Both teachers and students struggled with operating the technology and adapting to online learning mode.
Pedagogical, social, managerial, and technical roles are the four functions of the online instructors (Keengwe & Kidd, 2010). Supporting faculty become more significant because of the number of faculty who begin the online learning practice with little knowledge of the process of hosting, designing, managing, and developing online instruction. After a few months of exploring and practicing, this training serves as the second phase of MS Teams technical training consolidating instructors’ experiences, questions, and concerns in five topics: Connection and setup; student engagement, collaborative learning, assessment with rubrics and language teaching specifics. By the end of the training, the participants will improve their confidence in using MS Teams and apply the skill learned with an up-to-date perspective of language learning.
Disclaimer to reviewers:
The instructional videos included in this course are from Linkedin Learning which all DLIFLC instructors have access to. Due to the account limitation, the reviewers might not be able to view the content. The embedding educational theories are reflected in the curriculum and task design.
Course Design
The training content mainly incorporates the concept of the 7-affordance of elearning (Kalantzis & Cope, 2012) and the experiential learning theory.
Note. The 7 e-affordance in new learning.
Reprinted from New learning: Elements of a science of education. (2nd ed. p.324) by Kalantzis & Cope, 2012. Cambridge University Press.
The current wave of online instruction provides the opportunity and challenges instructors to examine their understanding of learning and teaching in the new era. This training incorporates the e-affordance concepts in the topics to encourage the experienced instructors to take a different and contemporary perspective of language learning.
The instructors participating in this training are all actively teaching one or more online courses. Some are novices to online instruction and some have more extensive experience. Therefore, this training employs Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) in the design, which means extracting and developing knowledge from learners’ experience to create a “holistic adaptive process on learning that merges experience, perception, cognition, and behavior” (McCarthy, 2010). In each unit, learners will scaffold on their experience of the topic, followed by a pre-training quiz that examines their existing knowledge toward MS Teams functions. Based on the result of the pre-training tech quiz, learners can either go through the MS training videos or move on to a different task. Another layer of ELT is reflected in technology usage. When implemented in the institute, the content will be constructed entirely on MS Teams to enhance the experiential knowledge process. (This module is implemented on the CG Scholar platform in this version.)
Finally, also evolving from the 7 e-afforance of new learning, this training attempts to create a Community of Practice (CoP) for professional online language instructors to promote collaborative intelligence. Wenger-Trayner (2011) promotes the Community of Practice framework as a social learning model that goes beyond the official structures of an organization. The following video provides an overview of the framework as well as examples of CoP.
Wenger-Trayner (2015, Feb. 23) Social learning - a framework. [Youtube Video] Retrieved Nov 20, 2020 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvighN3BDmI&t=301s
Due to the locations and the nature of the task, the instructors in the continuing education department work independently. There is no such culture of or even some may resist the concept of sharing and exchanging ideas. Throughout this training, learners will be automatically included in a CoP where their in-class inputs have already been posted. The CoP should grow organically along with the iterations of the training.
Target Learners
Foreign language instructors in the Continuing Education Department who deliver post-basic online language training from low intermediate to advanced proficiency levels. Instructors have different degrees of online teaching experiences and are actively teaching online courses during the training period.
Training duration
This hybrid training contains 6 units and will be carried out over 6 weeks. Estimated training hours are one hour per day of individual learning and one hour of group online sessions every Thursday. The training module is also open for self-paced learning. However self-paced learners will not be able to see the comments, updates, and final projects without being officially assigned to the training Teams site.
Requirements
Learners enrolled in this training are required to accomplish the following:
Before the training starts, please complete this Pre-training Knowledge Survey and activate your institutional Linkedin Learning access.
Objectives:
Part I
Let’s talk about the worries….
[Untitled illustration of a annoyed computer user]. Screen Fatigue. https://www.activehealth.sg/hs-fs/hubfs/Active%20Health%20Website/Read/2018/millenials%20sleep%203.jpg?width=1116&name=millenials%20sleep%203.jpg
Connecting with the students is the first step of online learning. In Distance Learning, our students are literally around the world. Please take a moment to think about the worries that you have in terms of creating an online session, especially in MS Teams for your students. What can you do as an instructor?
Part II
Please take this quiz and examine how much you know about the basic functions of MS Teams.
If you answer correctly to all questions, CONGRATULATIONS! Check out the training videos if you want to review and learn more about the topic. Otherwise, move on to make comments and the update of this unit.
If you didn’t get all the questions right, follow the training links in the quiz and learn about the feature before retaking the quiz.
MS Teams Essential Training
* Tips of Linkedin Learning: you can choose the transcription and keyword search to locate specific content.
* If you are still in need of hands-on training, please make an appointment with the facilitator.
Comments:
Do you find the different privileges mentioned in the training video and in our institution? For example, we are not allowed to create our own teams. Or, in what situation you might choose to add students as guests?
Update prompt:
Watch this video below regarding the device issues. Have you had a similar experience? How did you solve it? Please use examples in MS Teams. Respond to at least 3 updates by other participants.
Device issues:
iSLCollective Video Quiz Tutorials. (2020) Your Online Teaching Worries with Solutions - 1. Device Issues. [Youtube Video] Retrieved Nov 20, 2020 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CQiKZe3-Vg
Objectives:
Unit one covers basic MS teams functions to set up a team and manage teams.
Part I recalls learners' experience in the setup and connecting stage;
Part II follows the previous discussion, directs learners to MS Teams training videos that target the related functions.
[Facilitation Notes]
Reference:
How to Design Effective Technology Training for Teachers (Roland, 2016)
- Go over the comment and update requirements with learners if necessary.
- (If in MS teams) request learners to “like” the questions and respond in the comments to demonstrate the commonality of the issue.
CoP
This learning module will also build a learning community based on the Community of Practice (CoP) theory. A CoP is a “sustained social network of individuals who share a common set of core values and knowledge, including a past history, grounded on common practices” (Hung et. al, 2005). The concept will be introduced in Unit 6.
By the end of this learning module, one of the goals is to build a CoP with the participants. Facilitators continue organizing and forwarding comments, updates and final projects of each iteration to the separate CoP team to keep the community site active.
Objectives:
Part I
Is it more challenging to keep students engaged in the online environment? There can be external reasons such as the distracting home-learning environment or stressful life events. Also, when the course content or instructions are not clear or lack structure, students may have a harder time following. Read the following chart and identify the engaged and disengaged learners you have encountered. What kind of strategies can you apply to each disengaged behavior?
Gutierrez, K. (2014) The eLearning Dilemma: Engaged vs Unengaged Learners. SHiFT Distributive Learning. [Web Image] Retrieved from https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/bid/334167/The-eLearning-Dilemma-Engaged-vs-Unengaged-Learners
Part II
MS Teams group chat and meeting
Comments:
Pick one to two attributes of the disengaged students and how would you utilize MS teams functions to promote student engagement?
Update prompt:
Watch the following video about the most asked questions about student engagement by other teachers. Choose one of the strategies and explain how you have applied or plan to apply it in your online teaching using MS Teams.
iSLCollective Video Quiz Tutorials. (2020) Your Online Teaching Worries with Solutions - 2. Student engagement. [Youtube video] Retrieved Nov. 20, 2020 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3QZMoUaOEk&list=PL2k20JtdJJ8HBENe1OXfyrwShmNBh0Rz5&index=3
Objectives:
Unit 2 covers MS Teams chat and team management skills from the aspect of student engagement.
Part I discusses the difference between engaged learners and disengaged learners.
Part II groups the MS Teams training videos that enhance online learning engagement.
[Facilitator Note]
Pearson North America. (2020, Apr. 21) Effective strategies to engage students in learning. [Youtube Video] Retrieved Nov. 20, 2020 from https://youtu.be/kVce-eckF-A
Objectives
Part I
Collaborative learning in language learning has been identified as a method for students to produce language among other benefits. Think about a remarkable collaborative learning moment in your teaching experience. Why did it work? What are the students’ reactions?
Here are six principles of creating collaborative technology-mediated tasks:
1. Primary focused on meaning;
2. Goal‐oriented;
3. Learner‐centered;
4. Authentic and related to the real‐world;
5. Reflective
6. True collaboration and learner interaction. (González‐Lloret, 2020).
Part II
Watch the following video and create a timestamp in the “MM:SS Topic” fashion
Example:
0:00 Introduction to OneNote Tips & Tricks
0:38 Copy text from picture (OneNote app only)
Kevin Stratvert. (May 07, 2020) How to use OneNote Class Notebook in Microsoft Teams. [Youtube Video] https://youtu.be/DmmCPsYVyuU
While working through the video, check if you understand the tips introduced. Post your timestamp in the collaborative space in our class notebook. Read the timestamp posted by others, do you notice any differences? If yes, discuss with that participant to clarify the understanding.
Comments:
What would you do to promote collaborative learning with disengaged students? And can Collaborative learning promote student engagement?
Update prompt:
Find an example of online collaborative learning and explain how it can be translated into a MS Teams based, not limited to class notebook, lesson.
Also, check the following “Teaching demonstration” section for details about the final peer-review project. Now is a good time to start planning for it.
Online collaboration
Part I
Learners reflect on their experience about online collaborative learning and analyze it from student aspects.
Part II
Learners learn about the class notebook, a new feature to most instructors, by a step-by- step tutorial and collaboration among the group.
[Facilitator Notes]
Supplementary materials for collaborative learning
Online Collaborative Learning in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature
Teaching demo video
In this learning module, we go through the process and different aspects of online learning, and look into the possible solutions within MS Teams. For the final project, you will be asked to create a video of your online teaching demo that exhibits your understanding and comprehension in utilizing this educational technology. The video will be reviewed by three other peers using the rubrics:
The video project should include:
|
*Here is the training video about how to record your Teams session: Record a video meeting or call Another method is to record the entire screen using QuickTime on the MacBook: |
Peer-review process:
Peer-review guidance
Peer-reveiw is viral but can be a new experience for some participants. It is always a good idea to go over some key points about how to provide a constructive review. Here are some supplementary references:
The importance of positive feedback and the SPARK model
Brian Johnson (Aug 17, 2020) How to Give Constructive Feedback with the SPARK Model. [Youtube Video] Retrieved Nov 20, 2020 from https://youtu.be/x1nVK3X9l60
SPARK Model
Guiding learners to positive feedback https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-students-give-peer-feedback
Objectives
Part I
Study these two rubrics and examine them with the following questions:
Do they communicate the expectations to students clearly?
Do they help the students to be aware of their own learning?
Can they improve the students' engagement with the rubric, in other words, will students want to use these two rubrics, why?
Example of rubric. (n.d.) Rubric Design. Champlain College.
Reprinted Nov 20, 2020 from https://champlain.instructure.com/courses/200147/pages/rubric-design
Association of American Colleges & Universities (n.d.) Oral Communication VALUE rubric. https://www.aacu.org/value/rubrics/oral-communication
Downloadable documents:
Part II
Please take this quiz and examine how much you know about the assessment functions of MS Teams and Forms in Office 365.
If you answer correctly to all questions, CONGRATULATIONS! Check out the training videos if you want to review and learn more about the topic. Otherwise, move on to make comments and the update of this unit.
If you didn’t get all the questions right, follow the training links in the quiz and learn about the feature before retaking the quiz.
MS Teams assignment and quiz
Comments:
Do you find the MS Teams built-in rubric feature applicable for online language instruction? Please make an argument with the pros and cons with examples if possible.
Update prompt:
Make an update about tools that you find can be a good online assessment tool. Explain how it demonstrates the students learning process, not just results.
Objectives
Part I
Learners understand the role of rubrics by comparing two rubrics.
Part II
Learners check and refine their knowledge about the rubric tool in MS teams.
[Facilitator Notes]
Supplementary material:
Foreign Language Rubrics: A Guide to Writing Analytic and Holistic Rubrics
Objectives
Part I
Let’s recall Bloom’s Taxonomy seven levels of thinking: remember, recall, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, to creation. How can we assist students in developing higher-order thinking skills in language learning is a task for every CE instructor. Identify the verbs from Bloom’s digital Taxonomy verbs, and choose one that you have successfully implemented in your online course and one you would like to try.
Wabisai Learning. (n.d.) The Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs Poster for Teachers. https://wabisabilearning.com/blogs/literacy-numeracy/download-blooms-digital-taxonomy-verbs-poster
Part II
Before this week’s online session, choose a task that promotes higher-order thinking skills discussed in Part I; briefly write down the procedure and post it on the Collaboration Space in Class Notebook. In the online session, pick a task created by another participant (or randomly assigned by the facilitator) and think about how to realize the task in MS Teams. Everyone will take turns to demonstrate the procedure using desktop sharing.
3 Ways to Share Screen in MS Teams.
Andy Park (Oct 23, 2020) 3 Ways to Share Screen in MS Teams. [Youtube Video] Retrieved Nov 20, 2020 from https://youtu.be/Y83ZPN7F3oc
Comments:
What is metacognition? How to apply metacognition with the higher-order thinking skills identified in Bloom’s taxonomy?
Update:
Submit the final project with the video demo link and description to the share drive (see “Teaching Demonstration” section for details).
Objectives
This unit raises learners’ awareness of cognitive and metacognitive skills in learning.
Part I
Learners will review the higher order thinking skills identified in Bloom’s Taxonomy and its updates in the digital age.
Part II
Each learner prepares a description of a task that promotes higher order thinking skills. Everyone will pick someone else’s task and demonstrate how to carry out the task in MS Teams via desktop sharing.
[Facilitator Notes]
12 metacognition-modelling strategies for the foreign language classroom
Objectives:
According to the collected feedback from educators (Tholfen, 2020), five ways are identified that can get the best out of MS teams for remote learning:
Please go to the original post to read about the explication. Take a moment to make connections with the content from Unit 1-5. Do you feel confident utilizing the features associated with any of the means?
Staff and learning community
As society and world culture developed, the significance and necessity of Networking and Community increased rapidly. Professional networking can “lead to more job and business opportunities, broader and deeper knowledge, improved capacity to innovate, faster advancement, and greater status and authority. Building and nurturing professional relationships also improves the quality of work and increases job satisfaction” (Casciaro et. al, 2016). In the following video, Maarten de Laat shares his vision of networking as one of the 21st-century skills to and how individuals act in the network; as well as discusses the nature and challenges of forming a network.
EDEN Secretariat. (2015, October 5). Networks are Everything—Maarten de Laat Interview by Steve Wheeler #EDEN15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NCQjDcuWII&feature=emb_logo
Comments:
By participating in this training, you are now a part of the online teaching community in DL. What should be the function of this community? How would you contribute to the community? How should this community be managed so all members can be benefitted?
Update:
Review the peer-review feedback, create the final update about the reflection and self-evaluation on your teaching demo. How useful are peer-review feedback? How would you make any changes, or not to make changes to the design? Why? Make sure to link to your video in the post.
Objectives:
[Facilitator Notes]
Part I
Spend some time to go over and review the features and concepts that were included in the previous units under each means:
Part II
Direct learners to the CoP site and encourage them to start or continue contributing to the community. After the first iteration, the CoP site will be introduced earlier in the module. Participants can also read inputs from previous iterations and get the sense of community in the earlier stage of the training.
Arroway, R. (n.d.). Make the Grade: How to Write Effective Foreign Language Rubrics | General Educator Blog. Retrieved December 3, 2020, from https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/foreign-language-rubrics/
Amy Trietiak. (May 07, 2020) Online Collaborative Learning in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature. edspace. https://edspace.american.edu/amytrietiak/2020/05/07/online-collaborative-learning-in-higher-education/
Casciaro, T., Gino, F., & Kouchaki, M. (2016, May 1). Learn to Love Networking. Harvard Business Review. May 2016. https://hbr.org/2016/05/learn-to-love-networking
Chick, N. (2013, February 10). Metacognition. Vanderbilt University. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/metacognition/
Collins, R. (2014). Skills for the 21st Century: teaching higher-order thinking. Curriculum & Leadership Journal, 12(14).
Coti, G. (June 11, 2015) 12 metacognition-modelling strategies for the foreign language classroom. The Language Gym. https://gianfrancoconti.com/2015/06/11/modelling-metacognitive-questioning-in-the-foreign-language-classroom/
Gardener, M. (2019, October 08) Teaching Students to Give Peer Feedback. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-students-give-peer-feedback
Hung, D., Chee, T. S., Hedberg, J. G., & Thiam Seng, K. (2005). A framework for fostering a community of practice: Scaffolding learners through an evolving continuum. British Journal of Educational Technology, 36(2), 159–176. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2005.00450.x
Kalantzis, M., & Cope, B. (2012). New learning: Elements of a science of education. Cambridge University Press.
Keengwe, J., & Kidd, T. T. (2010). Towards best practices in online learning and teaching in higher education. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 6(2), 533-541.
McCarthy, M. (2010). Experiential learning theory: From theory to practice. Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER), 8(5).
Nafukho, F., & Chakraborty, M. (2014). Strengthening student engagement: What do students want in online courses? European Journal of Training and Development, 38, 782–802. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-11-2013-0123
Roland, J. (2015, September 4).How to Design Effective Technology Training for Teachers. Samsung Business Insights. https://insights.samsung.com/2015/09/04/how-to-design-effective-technology-training-for-teachers-video/
Tholfsen, M. (2020, April 17) Top 5 Ways Teachers Can Use Microsoft Teams During Remote Learning. Microsoft Education Blog. Retrieved from https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2020/04/top-5-ways-teachers-can-use-microsoft-teams-during-remote-learning/
Wenger, E. (2011). Communities of practice: A brief introduction.