Creating an Innovative Learning Space for FIN4202
The Challenge: Updating the way the course is administered due to lack of engagement and challenge posed towards students.
Overview
The current classroom curriculum and instructional methods for course FIN42020 have become repetitive and mundane. Students coast through the course allowing simulations to dictate outcomes without any real reward/risk upon course completion. The instructors also must spend time deducing between students results and whether they have been lucky, hardworking, or lazy; this is added to their workload of running lectures and monitoring online work.
The issue is not the content itself, but the way it is being delivered to the students.
While other FIN courses may require larger, in person group discussions, or even large lectures to understand basic principles, Investments is a far more hands-on class that requires active participation from learners if they are to benefit from the experience. With this in mind, the Finance Department will partner with an instructional design team lead by Connor Woulahan to recreate the online portion of this course, where students can have free will to make their own decisions. The ID team will also restructure the in-person part of this course, where students must collaborate online with their teams and instructor to set-up meetings – all of this with the outlook of creating a professional work environment.
Let's Address The Issue
Problem 1:
Engagement
Students are not challenged in class. It is too easy for them to cut corners and coast through the assignments. The investments class uses a simulation style system that asks students to research and choose stocks for their portfolios, with plenty of guidance, but does account for actual leg work. This leaves the door open for students to randomly select stock options and then cruise through the class hoping for the best.
The Other Challenge
Creating a Professional Learning Environment
Every small university boasts the relationships that students are able to create with their professors... Well let's take it one step further. Replacing lectures with 1-on1 meetings to discuss current modules, issues and ideas.
Classroom Lectures
Don't get me wrong, a classroom lecture has tenure as far as teaching methods go. Nevertheless, for a class that thrives on active participation and communication, we saw an opportunity to innovate this space.
1 - On - 1
To help prepare students for a realistic working environment whilst simultaneously offering them more support, Instructors can be both a a colleague and an educator.
Communication
Communication is key. Students must be proactive in scheduling and updating instructors. Preparing for meetings and managing workloads will help prepare students for the professional work place.
Software Updates
To help students with managing their workload and staying in communication with instructors the course will utilise Microsoft teams. Teams is the messaging app for your organization—a workspace for meetings, real-time collaboration and communication, and file and app sharing. Teams has advanced security features built in so you can relax knowing your info is backed by enterprise-grade security. Please see the video below for how teams can help the class.
Video still in production.
Evaluation
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Students will be evaluated constantly throughout the course using both direct and indirect methods.
The way the curriculum was currently administered students were able to coast by without any reward for active participation. The updated hybrid model that we are creating will likely cause more variation in gradings. With more onus placed upon Students being proactive in communication and managing their own projects. Grading will not change dramatically, but the demand for engagement will go up.
Students Will have a diary of things they must accomplish each week within their LMS, but via teams must schedule their own meetings and workload each week with grades dependent upon it.
Take a look here to see how to use Microsoft teams as a
scheduling tool...
Author Info / Bibliography
References
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Beautiful Free Images & Pictures | Unsplash. (2022). Retrieved 16 August 2022, from https://unsplash.com/
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How to effectively use the Microsoft Teams Calendar. (2022). Retrieved 18 August 2022, from https://www.unifysquare.com/blog/how-to-effectively-use-the-microsoft-teams-calendar/
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Martin-Kniep, G., & Picone-Zocchia, J. (2009). Changing the way you teach, improving the way students learn. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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What is a Diversified Portfolio? - Definition | Meaning | Example. (2022). Retrieved 16 August 2022, from https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-dictionary/diversified-portfolio
Connor Woulahan
Student, Coach, IDT Enthusiast
A little about myself in case anybody was wondering. Originally from the UK, I moved to the US to continue my studies at Lindenwood University where I earned a bachelor’s in Marketing and statistics. Following a brief soiree into the working world (9-5 office job) as part of a small marketing team working solely for car dealerships, I decided to change direction all together and come over to Fontbonne. This is where our paths have crossed as I am currently a part of the grad program for Instructional design Technology, whilst also a member of the coaching staff for the Men’s soccer team here at the University. Regarding this project, the class that I have chosen is one I sat myself during undergrad. I remember constantly thinking that even if the message was of value, students were not getting the most out of the class… So, this seemed and apt opportunity to tackle that.