Fall 2024 Cohort - Tech4 Teaching & Learning MiniGrant - Culminating Portfolio

ETHN 70: Intro to Pan African Studies

Black cultures, Accessibility, Structure

ETHN 70: Intro to Pan African Studies is a lower-division, introductory, GE Area 6 course in Black life, history, and cultures in Africa and throughout the African diaspora.

Reflection on Tech4 Teaching & Learning MiniGrant Deliverables:

Self Review of Course - Using QM Rubric

When I initially did a self-review of the course using the QM rubric, I was surprised to find how detailed the QM rubric is and the different aspects of the structure of a course that I hadn't thought about. For example, I had not realized how much information students needed about the technology used in a course before the course begins. I was also unaware of how the course and module objectives need to not only be explained at the beginning of the course but also woven into the structure of each module and assignment. The self-review made me realize I had a lot of work to do.

Analyzed the DFW Rates and Developed a Plan

ETHN 70 is a tough course in some ways because many students are placed into it through Hornet Launch. Hornet Launch does not take students' interests and preferences in mind when placing students into Area 6 courses, so they are sometimes placed in a course they have no interest in and no motivation to perform well. Many students also struggle with understanding the value of cross-cultural learning and are not motivated to learn about Black life, history, and cultures if they are not Black. As a result, I've noticed DFW rates for this class that are higher than I'd like. I was hoping that restructuring the course for QM standards would help improve engagement and motivation for students who would not otherwise be motivated.

Created a Course Map to Demonstrate Alignment

Course Map

I have created course maps before, but the instruction I received with Tech4 Teaching and Learning prompted me to create a course map that was way more detailed than anything I've done before. This was the hardest part of this process. But once I had the course map ready to go, I was able to follow it closely and build out the course from there.

Professional Development Selected to Strengthen Skills and Knowledge -- Improve Your Online Course

I did the Improve Your Online Course activity through the CSU System and QM. This activity prompted me to really fine-tune my objectives and gave me further insight into how to make my course map really strong.

Course Redesign Process and Experience

After I completed the Improve Your Online Course activity, I worked with one of our instructional designers to improve the tech aspects of my online course. This was incredibly helpful, and I learned a lot about how to structure the pages in Canvas and many of Canvas's features to make things easy for students.

After the instructional designer and I worked on making sure my Canvas course matched my course map, I submitted it for the QM Preparatory Review. My course failed the first attempt at this review because some of my objectives had more than one verb, but once I adjusted that, I resubmitted it and passed. Now, my course is waiting for the Formal Review.

Evidence of Online Course Re-Design

*ETHN 70: Intro to Pan African Studies* Re-Design
*In person to Online*	*Adding new media*
I have never taught this course online, so a huge part of the re-design was transforming the course from an in-person course to an online course. In order to do this, I had to make adjustments to the assignments and the flow of information.	I wanted the digital space of the course to feel like a hub where students could come to learn about Pan African Studies. To do this, I found YouTube videos, podcasts, and other forms of media to help students understand significant events and people in Black life, history, and culture.

Changes in Course Syllabus and Schedules:

Syllabus

**Faculty Biography**
Jasmine H. Wade	About me:
	I am an Assistant Professor in the Ethnic Studies department

**Program Sponsors**
	This work was supported by: US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project TECH4Equity US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM4Equity P031C210012 *Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the US Department of Education.