Newsletter April 2022: Just-in-Time Teaching
In this month’s newsletter we focus on how the students’ engagement in teaching can be enhanced by means of the principles from the Just-in-Time approach, asynchronous online activities, and effective designs.
Just-in-Time Teaching
Over the years Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) has taken many forms, and the concept is used in many teaching contexts, especially in connection with Peer instruction and Flipped Learning.
The basic element in all forms of JiTT is always the use of online, individual, asynchronous learning activities in preparation for the actual teaching. This will typically be in the form of material to introduce new subjects, new angles or concrete events, accruing of the material read, putting matters into perspective or reflecting on matters. All things which will in one way or the other support the students’ preparation and make a link to the coming teaching session.
In continuation of the introductory material, there will typically be a short quiz to clarify uncertainties and also the possibility of asking clarifying questions. It is especially in relation to these last points that we find variations in the implementation of JiTT. In the theoretical and practical description of JiTT in this newsletter, this is where we will focus our attention, for this is where we find the real advantage of JiTT.
Asynchronous elements
After over 2 years with Covid-19 and the consequent lockdowns, resulting in more or less creative forms of teaching, it is very likely that most teachers are in possession of a good deal of excellent basic material for JiTT. This could be Zoom recordings, where we only hear the teacher speaking, quizzes used for synchronous or asynchronous online activities, maybe even screencasts used as introduction to asynchronous, collaborative learning activities – this was where we started.
With a little ingenuity this material can be restructured for asynchronous learning activities, used in a new context. Thereby you have taken the first, maybe also the second step towards the development of a JiTT course. There are many possibilities of restructuring and producing digital material, and it can be done relatively easily. If you have in mind, during production and/or editing, that your material must always lend itself to re-use or to be used in a new context, then you will reach far. You may even be able to include material, produced by others.
Design of asynchronous activities
It is always important, especially when you work with previously used material, that it is presented in the right way. Basically, we always recommend the use of Gilly Salmon's e-tivity model as a starting point, when preparing online asynchronous learning activities, the so-called e-tivities. With the addition of the collaborative dimension, the e-tivity framework builds on models and theories from instructional design, and teachers describe it as very intuitive and plug-n-play.
A number of O365 products, which are available to all SDU staff, allow you to make e-tivities consisting of text, images, videos recordings, embedded elements, quizzes etc.
Courses and workshops
The course Introduction to 4 tools in Office 365 (online course) gives you a quick, but thorough introduction to these tools, based on the e-tivity framework.
If you and your colleagues want us to conduct a local tailor-made workshop – don’t hesitate to contact us.
Just-in-Time Teaching - theoretical background and in practice
By using the Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) approach you encourage your students to active participation in the teaching sessions, to reflect, to acknowledge the perspectives of other students, to actively employ the matter learnt, relate it to other aspects of the subject and to be better prepared.
