HRS 190B/290B: The Body

Reflection on Instructional Change:

I am showcasing improving class discussion and engagement. I regularly set up student discussion board postings to encourage deep thought and validate knowledge they already had as well as get them to apply their reading to illustrate their comprehension. Students therefore were asked to make three discussion board posts for each module: a discussion of what they already knew, a reaction to the reading and a response to another student, and then an application of the reading to another text, such as a work of art.

A picture of a discussion board prompt for pre-writing

One student responded to this prewrite with: "When we think about the ways in which we are surveilled, most of the time we rationalize it by thinking or saying, “It’s for the greater good” or something similar to that. Instantly when I read this question, I thought of the very intense surveillance that Americans are under when it comes to counter-terrorism measures and the controversy around such privacy intrusions (according to some). Especially younger generations, we are almost hyper aware of what the government could hear or see that could be remotely suspicious - even if they are harmless. I am one of those who can see both sides to the arguments of whether or not these intense surveillance measures help or hurt society as a whole. Funny enough, I do believe one of the modern era’s smartest and most innovative surveillance methods came in the form of the Ring doorbell - something that I just invested in myself and is being found in many households around the United States. This level of surveillance deters package stealers, as well as sends notifications to the owner of the house as to whether someone or something is on their property. I do think this type of technology is helpful and deterrent to those who would choose to commit crimes, but I also see the emerging problem in being too invasive. After thinking of this, it makes one think about where they are NOT being surveilled."

After performing this activity prior to the reading, students then were prompted to respond to the following by class on Tuesday:

A picture of the prompt for students commenting on their reading

The same student responded with the following: "I enjoyed when Staples was commenting on the different kinds of tactics that are used in order to ensure social control and a modicum of surveillance - one of them being science, and specifically DNA. When Staples was explaining this, it made me think of the company 23andMe and the controversy surrounding the idea that people are sending their DNA samples to a large company and getting it analyzed. Many of the arguments I’ve heard is that this type of “surveillance” is worrisome because the company has pieces of valuable information regarding someone’s health - something that many believe would be used by the government in order to control the healthcare options they receive. These DNA samples give a lot of insight into one’s health data and if someone has the likelihood of developing a condition later in life, it could be used against them by the government (according to some). I do believe that this type of surveillance is a type of monitoring that is problematic."

Picture of discussion board prompt for postwriting on Staples

The same student responded with this, continuing her discussion of DNA: "I chose this picture because it illustrates the point I was making in my pre-write, which was that the newer DNA testing companies are becoming suspicious amongst some because of its way of surveilling those who participate in it. Whether or not this is on purpose, from the company’s perspective, is up for debate. Now that I’ve read a bit more about it, I have also become a skeptic in regards to this because I think of how we are surveilled in almost every way, and that this is probably no different. Our DNA, our body... are the most important things in our lives so it scares me a bit to think that someone could have access to that valuable information. This type of surveillance is a bit different than the ways we’ve discussed in class but I think it’s just as important."

A picture of a camera scanning DNA

Another student then responded to her postwriting with: "I like this image as one of the most interesting parts of the reading for me is about DNA. I never really considered DNA collection as surveillance. But where your DNA shows up often follows where you’ve been. And the information in your DNA is collected by private and public agencies and stored for purposes we may not conceive of yet." (I will admit to choosing shorter responses for this poster session)

This series of activities was useful in that it encouraged students to a) think about what they already know, b) write in reaction to what they read on the same subject and reflect on how their reading related to their knowledge, and then c) apply the (generally theoretical) reading to another text, ex. a piece of artwork.

Interaction with FLC Activities: I gained most from asynchronous discussion threads with colleagues; seeing how other people responded to the teaching videos was really useful since they often came up with new perspectives from my own.

From the observe and analyze session, I gained better strategies for enabling discussions with my students and enabling all student voices. Seeing how my colleagues used google docs for breakout rooms led to me creating them in my own courses, which then provided "notes" for students when they go forward to write their essays on similar topics.

Google docs for breakout room discussions which students then fill in, both creating accountability and a great document for when they write their essays.

A jamboard for my HRS 188: Fantasy and Romance class regarding our discussion of what makes for "good" fantasy literature.

Microcredential badge for Active Online Learning

Practice and Reflect on: Planning Effective Online Discussions

I chose “develop prompts that leverage student experience and reinforce real-world application” for AL5. I chose “prompt for critical and deeper thinking” for AL6. And I chose “Design questions to expand thinking and prompt for examples” for secondary practice.

I see these choices as intimately related, especially since I’m going to tweak AL5 a bit. In the Humanities, real-world application is not as readily available as it is in business, for example. What I have found important to do in my senior/graduate seminar, HRS 190B/290B: The Body, is to make sure students are able to apply theory to their own examples and thus demonstrate their understanding of said theory. They can draw or otherwise create their example or use one created by an artist, but they must show how their example (often a painting or photograph) is an illustration of the week’s concepts. They get to talk about their own perception of the example and how it relates to theory, thus cementing theory, application, and interpretation. This also prompts critical and deep thinking, since they must choose, analyze, and explain to their classmates why their examples illustrate the principles of the module. They then must respond to a classmate, fostering dialogue and peer teaching. While this assignment is done each week, with some exceptions, each week has different content and thus different examples are necessary. Variation and interest here comes from finding a new example each week and explaining it to each other. Students responded to my query about whether I should vary the discussion post assignments with a negative; they liked the predictability of the assignment even as the content varied each week. I really like this exercise and the way it builds community, peer teaching, and application—demonstrating whether they really understood that week’s concept. What I need to do for the future is build a rubric for this assignment. Students should know more clearly how they will be graded from the outset.

Faculty Biography

I am Dr. Alyson Buckman, chair of and professor in the department of Humanities and Religious Studies. I teach courses in popular culture, gender studies, American Studies, and film. I have gained a great deal from the online teaching courses I have been taking.

This work was supported by the Developing Hispanic Serving Institution Project INSPIRE