#Reflection #Current Issues in Teaching #Instructional Technologies and Material Design
Well, the fall semester ended! It feels quite
strange how the time passed so quickly! Current Issues in Teaching course came
also to an end and in this supposedly last post, I will share my reflections on
the course with you all!
First of all, the major weakness of the
course, for me, was the misalignment of the course title with the content of
the course. Last year, the course content and the title ‘Instructional
Technologies & Material Design’ were congruous and as it was my first time
experiencing the usage of various technological tools, the course felt like an
oasis in the Chomskyian desert. However, this year ‘Current Issues in Teaching’
felt like an extension to ‘Instructional Technologies & Material Design’ and
maybe it wasn’t really needed.
In addition, another aspect of the course
which I found difficult was groupwork. Indeed, the groupworks are done at some
point prior to the deadline but I think it shouldn’t be the last minute. As I
am a disciplined person, I prefer completing my assignment on time and study
individually. Furthermore, I didn’t find the peer feedback sufficient.
In my opinion, there are two roads that could
be taken regarding the trajectory of the course. First, the course could be
aligned with its title and focus on the shortcomings of the education system in
Turkey. Actually, the problems in our national education are quite abundant so
this would provide a nice focal point to the class. Second, the students in the
department could be divided into four groups and whether the assignment will be
individual or group work could be optional. If we are talking about
student-centred education, the students must have the right to decide on what
to do in their learning journey.
There are lots to say but there is a word
limit! Fare-thee-well!
