Master of Education, UoPeople

Introduction

My reflection on the experiences I have gained in the Master of Education in Advanced Teaching (M.Ed.) program with The University of The People has allowed me to excel in curriculum and instructional design. I also learned how to conduct my final applied research report in the classroom and gained valuable advice and wisdom through my peers and instructors throughout this program. I am greatly influenced by the holistic approach to education, where reflective thinking and judgment, as well as critical thinking and reflection, are ways of thinking that recognize uncertainty and allow dilemmas while crediting less importance to the role of self in the reflective process. The dissension generated in understanding that a problem subsists engages the reflective thinker to evolve into an active inquirer to critique present conclusions and create new hypotheses. Our daily practice progresses to our momentary actions, making our ideals real by transferring them into thoughts, behaviours, and actions through moment-by-moment decision-making (Larrivee, 2000).

My future teaching practices

Good teaching leads to the learning outcomes of the study programme. Therefore, in supporting learning, my teaching method is to support students with the relevant materials and direct them to learning resources that will enable them to learn the subject deeply and provide the proper knowledge, skills, and ability to do well.

Many teachers have their own theory of teaching, and this theory affects the kind of learning environment we create in our classrooms (Benade, 2015).

In my classroom, I usually start by modelling what my class has learned in the previous lesson and introduce the topic for the current one by asking, "What have we learned?" In this way, I have broken the ice by agreeing with what was taught. In some cases, students were absent or inattentive, so this opening statement put those who were absent or inattentive at ease. I am adopting the posture of an instructor, tutor, teacher, facilitator, mentor, and learner. These roles will be changed intermittently as the learning environment develops and student-centred learning takes focus (Larrivee, 2000).

The main benefit of this instructional scaffolding method is improving learning, as my module on managing operations and supply chain management is very relevant to this teaching methodology. In this learning environment, students can ask questions, provide feedback, and support their peers in learning new material. In addition, students can take ownership of the learning event by interacting with each other.

An example of how I teach is to tell a story of my past experiences and get students to relate to the case study examples or their real-life situations. Then, in a small team, students can role-play or demonstrate peer learning. This way, my role would be transitioning to a facilitator and mentor rather than a teacher.

Another example would be learning concepts, theories, and equations. Here, I will need to explain, teach, and tutor the students through PowerPoint presentations, writing on the whiteboard, and articulating salient equations.

My teaching style explicitly emphasizes the structure of the topic or subject to elicit an active response from students, for example, by presenting problems and questioning rather than expounding information only. I also teach based on building on what students already know, eradicating misconceptions, and assessing for structure rather than independent facts. Finally, I teach and assess in a way that encourages a positive working atmosphere so students can make mistakes and learn from them.

My teaching approach emphasizes depth of learning rather than breadth. I use many references and selected textbooks with links to websites and URLs for added information on each lesson. In conclusion, and most importantly, I am using formative and summative assessments that support the course's explicit aims and learning outcomes (Laurillard et al., 2018).

In addition, to support students' learning, I use the Virtual Learning Environment/Blackboard to communicate with them about their progress, offer them valuable feedback, and post relevant materials for the course of study. Occasionally, other forms of technology, such as "blended learning" using "The Learning Designer," have aided me in creating better learning support for my students, and "Google Classroom" is sometimes used. My presentation is always on PowerPoint and sometimes hand-written illustrations on whiteboards as well, and I use interesting videos to support learning (Laurillard et al., 2018)

In reflecting upon my teaching, to support student's learning, I usually raised questions like "What did students gain in today's lesson?" and "What questions do they have that were not answered?" I will ask students to evaluate what they have learnt through the lesson and how they can apply them personally. I will also encourage students to work in small teams and get their peer to review their work. In addition, I usually ask my students to reflect on their performance through their formative assessment and improvement plans. I will also create self-awareness for students' progress and whether some of the lessons learnt relate to the other management modules.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my underlying belief about how learning will take place is that it will occur by fostering a desire for deep learning. I have planned an assessment that considers the methods for students to progress well through their learning journey. The assessment provides helpful instructional information and works towards the same aim of aligning what I teach (curriculum) and how I teach (instruction). It works in unity with the assessment for learning to occur (Gopal, 2009).

An example of an assessment is using a model articulated in a journal. I have given noticeably clear instructions on how the student should use this model and replicate their application using this model by giving them explicit illustrations on drawing up the diagram on the whiteboard (instructional) and bridging this to the curriculum design where they need to demonstrate the theory to practice (Ruumol et al., 2011, p. 32).

References

Benade, L. (19 Jan, 2015). Teachers’ Critical Reflective Practice in the Context of Twenty-first Century Learning. 2(1), 42-54. Retrieved 21 Mar, 2021, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23265507.2014.998159

Gopal, T. (August, 2009). Integration of the BSCS 5E Instructional Method and Technology in an Anatomy and Physiology Lab. Dissertation, University of Southern Mississippi , 1-57. Retrieved 8 August, 2021, from https://aquila.usm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=2086&context=dissertations

Larrivee, B. (2000). Transforming teaching practice: Becoming the critically reflective teacher. Reflective Practice, 1(2), 293-306. Retrieved from https://ed253jcu.pbworks.com/f/Larrivee_B_2000CriticallyReflectiveTeacher.pdf

Laurillard, D., Kennedy, E., Charlton, P., Wild, J., & Dimakopoulos, D. (2018). Using technology to develop teachers as designers of TEL: Evaluating the learning designer. British Journal of Educational Technology, 49(6), 1044-1058. Retrieved 8 August, 2021, from https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/bjet.12697

Ruumol, K., Thangarajathi, S., & Ananthasayanam, R. (2011). Factor analytic study of cognitive processing and self-perception of learning disabilities among the elementary inclusive school children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 5(1), 32-38. Retrieved 7 August, 2021, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1102286.pdf

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