Abstract: Are you interested in designing online courses that empower your students and get them to take charge of their learning? This participatory workshop will introduce you to the concept of self-mapped learning pathways (SMLP). You will learn how to apply SMLP to your online and/or blended courses in ways that will engage and motivate your students. SMLP allows instructors to create courses that support learner autonomy and self-regulation while also scaffolding learners that need more direct instruction or are not ready for full autonomy. We will show you how to take a traditional syllabus and reconfigure it so that it utilizes an SMLP approach. You will learn how you can apply various tools and social media platforms (including Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and blogging) to both deliver content and assess learning within your online course. We will share how to protect students’ privacy and share ideas for how to give students choices in what they do and how they share their learning. Bring your own device (a laptop will likely work best) and a syllabus you have used from a previous course. Upon completion, you will have a framework for creating an SMLP syllabus and the initial components will be in place.

Objectives

At the end of this workshop participants will: - have a basic understanding of self-mapped pathways courses - be able to explain the benefits of using self-mapped pathways in their instruction - be able to explain the challenges instructors can run into during the design phase and identify ways to overcome these - leave with a basic structure in place for how to create a course using self-mapped pathways - know how to create assessments for a course that uses a self-mapped pathway approach - be able to apply learning towards re-envisioning use of the learning management system.

Topical Outline

I. Introduction to using self-mapped learning pathways a. Define the concept of SMLP b. Demonstration of an SMLP syllabus II. How SMLP Supports Learning a. Evidence/research relating to using SMLP in online learning b. Theories that undergird SMLP as a framework for learning c. Research basis for how SMLP can empower students III. The Design Phase of SMLP: From Traditional Syllabus to a SMLP a. Identify key differences in traditional syllabi vs. one that uses an SMLP approach b. Model how to take a syllabus and transform it into one that uses SMLP c. Highlight digital tools that can be incorporated into an SMLP framework d. Work time for participants to begin developing their syllabus IV. Assessing Learners Within an SMLP Framework a. Picking a platform tool b. Aligning with course objectives/outcomes and standards c. Designing a lesson/project/task d. Share ideas/peer review of ideas/debrief e. Design possibilities for assessment with lesson ideas V. Understanding and Overcoming Common Challenges of SMLP Design & Implementation a. Review common challenges instructors can expect to face in design and implementation; share solutions b. Review common challenges students may face in engaging in a course that uses an SMLP approach; share what can be done to minimize these challenges VI. Discussion and Dialogue about Using an SMLP Approach a. Participants will be able to share their questions and insights

Experience Level

Beginner

Qualifications

Dr. Leigh A. Hall is a professor at the University of Wyoming where she holds the Wyoming Excellence in Higher Education Endowed Chair in Literacy Education. Dr. Hall’s research centers on how online instruction can be designed to reach and support adult learners. She has published in such journals as Teachers College Record, and Harvard Educational Review. Dr. Matt Crosslin is a Learning Innovation Researcher with the LINK Research Lab at the University of Texas at Arlington. His current research activities focus on learning theory, innovation, learner empowerment, and open education. Matt holds a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas. His research interests include instructional design, learning pathways, sociocultural theory, heutagogy, virtual reality, and open networked learning. Dr. Peggy Semingson is an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Arlington where she teaches courses in Literacy Studies. Her Ph.D. is in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Language and Literacy Studies from The University of Texas at Austin in 2008. Her research interests include digital pedagogies, media-based learning, online learning, and online literacy teacher education.