The PBJ Approach

 It occurs to me that I use the PBJ approach to online course development. Let me explain this...

I have taught Research Design Design and Qualitative Research Design in an online setting.  Whew!  Those were the most difficult to teach online courses I have ever developed. It is not that teaching these subjects online cannot be done, the concern is to do it well....and have students leave these courses prepared to begin research design for their on dissertations.

After reading one vague research proposal after the other with none of them providing the level of detail necessary for a successful design, it occurred to me that I must not be communicating my desires clearly.  The students were definitely capable, but I was not "getting" the assignment across to them.

At that time we had all doctoral students on campus for one week during the summer.  They stayed in graduate housing, bunked together, attended bonding activities in the evening, and the during the day, faculty planned sessions for the students.  I had them for three hours.

I instituted my PBJ assignment. (I promise I am not digressing.)

The assignment is to write a process paper where they explain how to make their perfect PBJ.  Yes, it can have bananas or honey or whatever they want to use, but they key is to explain how to make their perfect PBJ.  They do this in class, usually taking about a hour.

After a 10-15 minute stretch break, I begin unpacking..... bread, spoons, peanut better, almond butter, jellies and jams, bananas paper towels, napkins, hand sanitizer......and the students manage to look puzzled.

They then exchanged papers, reading each others paper out loud, slowly, while I try to make their sandwich just as they described.  I admit I sometimes exaggerate when some instructions are omitted, and by the time I am juggling a jar of peanut better that I was never told to open a knife and a piece of bread, they catch on. Sure, it's fun, and we explore why directions are so important, then relate that to crafting a  research plan. From this point, I simply refer to the PBJ of a study, and everyone is right there on the same page!

They've got it! Yes, we had some ugly messes, and we took turns eating an enjoying the creations, but the point was made. Details really do matter.

When I teach students ho to design an interview protocol, I explain they every word they utter must appear in that protocol, beginning with, "Thank you so much for letting me talk with you today..."  and ending with, "Thanks again for meeting with me today..."


How does PBJ relate to teaching and online instructional design?

The PBJ approach requires everything to be spelled out, a script, of sorts, and when I create course content, I turn my content pages into a script...everything I would say to the students if they were there physically in front of me in a traditional classroom.   I might say in person, "Now that you have been introduced to .....let's move on to look at this in more depth." In online content, that is just what I write.   Teaching, to me, is a conversation, and that aspect is sometimes missing in an online course simply because having a one-sided conversation is difficult and clumsy.  But...I pretend I am in front of a class, and that is how I write....a conversation with the page.

In an online course we lack the opportunity to "be there" to explain a course, to make sure everything is clearly written in such a tone and voice that students can "hear" and understand. So we have to do that for them, making our writing engaging, clear, and hopefully, something they will want to read (or at least not mind reading).

There does need to be some order and some standardization, and that sometimes slows me down in course design. (Note the jpg of my newest running shirt  to the left.) My process is to map out the topics for modules (in this case towns), making sure I am including the content in the most logical order, making notes on those pages. I think of this as a loose outline. Sometimes I create specific pages, just to have the placeholders then I add notes to those pages so I will have them for later. Luckily, Canvas lets me rearrange pretty easily as needed. I need to finish one page before moving on although I do put notes and links on the other pages in the the town, but I must finish one page before organizing and really focusing on the next page.

What do I mean by finish?

In addition to all content being present and conversational, the page must have related graphics and videos...and assignments...and in this case XP. I have a strong ability to focus, and in this case, I fully focus on one page and finish it completely, ignoring the rest.  When it is finished, and I can think of nothing to add, I publish.  I may be slow, but what I publish is complete!

After all content is completed, THEN I will return to the Welcome Module  then on to the narrative.... and creating the map and setting the storyline.  Module will receive new introductions that weave n the story, but that is best done after the rest of the course is complete.

Now, though, is the time to begin standardizing modules, making sure all content results in XP and/or leads to a quest or guildchat.

Accomplishments this week?

• I figured out how to embed a blog post directly into Canvas
• I finished Simulation Quarter in Gaming Towne, including locating a variety of free simulations for students to try.I actually found examples from K-12, HIED, and business!  That has been a difficult goal to reach.

Changes?

We are considering a shift in the course, changing the final assignment to be a selection of case studies , making sure we allow enough time to really delve into the content.  This leaves us free to create an applications course as a followup, with this as a Theories course.

The plan?

Serious games, followed by frame games...and PBJ, of course!