CurrentsACADEMIC In Teaching and Learning JOURNAL VOLUME 12 NUMBER 2 JANUARY 2021 CURRENTS | JANUARY 2021 About Us Currents in Teaching and Learning is a peer-reviewed electronic journal that fosters exchanges among reflective teacher-scholars across the disciplines. Published twice a year, Currents seeks to improve teaching and learning in higher education with short reports on classroom practices as well as longer research, theoretical, or conceptual articles and explorations of issues and challenges facing teachers today. Non-specialist and jargon-free, Currents is addressed to both faculty and graduate students in higher education, teaching in all academic disciplines. Subscriptions If you wish to be notified when each new issue of Currents becomes available online and to receive our Calls for Submissions and other announcements, please join our Currents Subscribers’ Listserv. http://listserv.worcester.edu/scripts/ wa.exe?SUBED1=CURRENTS_SUBSCRIBERS&A=1 Table of Contents EDITORIAL REPORTS “Introduction to the Themed Issue on Digital “The Virtual Mystery Web-tool: An online Pedagogies” 4 hybridized problem-based learning teaching —Benjamin D. Jee tool created by students for students” 34 —Sherry Fukuzawa, Sarah Ranlett, and Emma Yasui ESSAYS “PechaKucha as an Alternative to Traditional Student Presentations” 44 “The LEAPS Framework for Selecting Digital —Kelly A. Warmuth Technologies in Online, Hybrid, and Face-to- Face Course Design” 6 —Laura Lohman “Social Media in Practice: Assignments, Perceptions, Possibilities” 52 —Jessica Kester and Stephanie Vie “Using OER to Promote Inclusion in Higher Education Institutions” 20 —Lauren Hays and Melissa N. Mallon “Increasing Accessibility and Diversity by Using a UDL Framework in an Infographics Assignment” 71 —Patti Dyjur, Carla Ferreira, and Tracey Clancy “Who’s missing? A program report of one online academic success course” 84 —Carmine Perrotti and Jennifer P. Steiner “Blended Learning in Graduate Teacher Education Programs: Understanding Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions and Experiences” 97 —Chiu-Yin (Cathy) Wong, Antonio G. Estudillo, and Stephen J. Chapman THE BACK PAGE About Us, Subscriptions, Submissions, Inquiries CURRENTS | JANUARY 2021 EDITORIAL Introduction to the Themed Issue on Digital Pedagogies —Benjamin D. Jee Dear readers of Currents in Teaching and Learning, whether it improves our effectiveness as instructors, and accommodates the needs of our students. In the I hope you and your loved ones are well during these article, “The LEAPS Framework for Selecting Digital challenging times. We knew that the fall 2020 semester Technologies in Online, Hybrid, and Face-to-Face would be like no other in memory. Besides the pandemic, Course Design,” Laura Lohman presents instructors those of us in the United States have been immersed in with a thoughtful, practical framework for selecting a presidential election in which starkly different views digital technologies for courses across a number of of the country and its future were on offer. At the time instructional formats. The acronym, LEAPS, arises from of this writing, a new administration is taking up the five key considerations—learner analysis, engagement, mantle of national leadership, and promising vaccines accessibility, purpose of instruction, and sustainability— are beginning to make their way to a beleaguered that contribute to the effective implementation of population. As we enter the spring semester, we do so educational technology. In “Using OER to Promote with a cautious optimism for a return to normalcy in the Inclusion in Higher Education Institutions,” Lauren months ahead. Hays and Melissa N. Mallon address the critical issue of inclusivity when adopting technology for instruction. These trying times will no doubt take time to fully They discuss how open educational resources (OER) can process. Professional and personal lives have been be used to engage students in knowledge construction disrupted, and for many, the boundaries between work as well as consumption. Together, these two articles and home life have been obliterated. Having taught contribute original and insightful ideas about the use remotely since the beginning of the pandemic in March of technology to meet the needs of both faculty and 2020, I truly miss seeing my students and colleagues students. in person. I miss the energy of a roomful of people engaging in an intellectual discussion. I miss bantering Other papers in this issue describe how specific and sharing a laugh. Remote teaching has its benefits, digital tools—both new and old—can be used to of course. I have gained a deeper appreciation for the enhance students’ learning. In the article, “The Virtual tenacity and persistence of my students. I have been Mystery Web-tool: An Online Hybridized Problem- forced to reflect on my pedagogy, including my use of based Learning Teaching Tool Created by Students synchronous class time and out-of-class assignments. I for Students,” Sherry Fukuzawa, Sarah Ranlett, and have found inspiration in my colleagues’ adaptiveness Emma Yasui describe how an online tool can enable and ingenuity in the face of difficult and unpredictable students in large or small classes to engage in domain- circumstances. There are surely lessons to take with us relevant problem solving. The “mystery” element of their beyond this period of imposed social distancing and problem-based activities helps to motivate and engage remote learning. students, while the automated release of new clues, questions, and comments minimizes demands on the Fittingly, the current issue of Currents is a collection instructor’s time. In “PechaKucha as an Alternative to of articles related to the theme of digital pedagogies. Traditional Student Presentations,” Kelly A. Warmuth Digital technology has an enormous role in education shows how a widely-used digital tool— PowerPoint— at all levels, now more than ever. As new hardware and can be used to enhance student presentations. This article software continually emerge, we must ask ourselves describes how students’ use of the PechaKucha format, in whether and how it serves our pedagogical goals— which students present 20 slides for 20 seconds each, was 4 EDITORIAL | DIGITAL PEDAGOGIES CURRENTS | JANUARY 2021 Digital Pedagogies continued linked to higher creativity, enjoyment, and efficiency of report in their article, “Blended Learning in Graduate presentations. In “Social Media in Practice: Assignments, Teacher Education Programs: Understanding Teacher Perceptions, Possibilities,” Jessica Kester and Stephanie Candidates’ Perceptions and Experiences,” students Vie consider how to create effective writing assignments may be attracted to the flexibility of online classes, but using the digital tools that students are drawn to outside feel that opportunities for collaborative and applied of the classroom—i.e., social media platforms such learning—elements that were central to the Perrotti and as Facebook. The authors emphasize thecritical use Steiner’s purposeful approach to online instruction—are of social media in order to improve students’ written often lacking. communication, as opposed to simply repackaging old assignments as social media products. Collectively, these Altogether, the articles in the current issue address a works demonstrate the importance of pedagogical goals range of fascinating issues related to digital pedagogies. I in the development and use of digital tools. thank all of the authors for their contributions. I am also grateful to the reviewers and copyeditors who devoted As we consider the role of technology in teaching their time and energy to the present issue, especially in and learning, we must be mindful of the “digital light of the considerable challenges over these past several divide” which separates students who have access to the months. Their names appear in the Contributors section. latest information and communication technologies I also appreciate my colleagues on the Currents advisory from those who do not. In their article, “Increasing board, who continue to support the journal through Accessibility and Diversity by Using a UDL Framework their valuable advice and feedback. Dr. Linda Larrivee, in an Infographics Assignment,” Patti Dyjur, Carla in particular, has played a central role in navigating the Ferreira, and Tracey Clancy explore how principles of journal through these challenging times. Her dedication, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can be used to hard work, and encouragement are truly appreciated. enhance inclusivity and accessibility in higher education courses. The authors describe assignments that enabled The team at Currents is already working on assembling students to create course-related infographics using open our next issue, to be released in fall 2021. I look forward educational resources—an approach that aligns well with to sharing more new and exciting work on teaching and the advice from Hays and Mallon’s essay in the current learning with you then. issue. In “Who’s missing? A Program Report of One Online Academic Success Course,” Carmine Perrotti and Until next time, Jennifer P. Steiner describe their process of designing and running an online version of a popular face-to-face course Benjamin D. Jee about skills for college success. The authors describe how the online course attracted a diverse range of students, and fostered personal connections to course material, collaboration with classmates, and the acquisition of key knowledge and skills. As Chiu-Yin (Cathy) Wong, Antonio