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Lesson plan

2026-01-07

This will be the fourth course iteration, so I expect little work.

Let's take a look at the the reflection of last time.

  • [ ] Ask learners to turn on their cameras before the first exercise
  • [Asked] Ask Diana to mention clearer that a good Zoom setup is strongly recommended

2026-01-12

I will have an observer!

This will mean that I need to check my notes when I was observed previously:

  • Do introduce the observer
    • Learners are not allowed to ask questions about the course content: he is not a teaching assistant
    • He is free to do whatever he/she wants, including asking questions
  • Tell the observer beforehand:
    • He is free to do whatever he/she wants, including asking questions, turning on/off camera, introducing himself yes/no

Adding quizzes? That is an idea I wanted to try... hmmm ... Let's see later if I am interested...

Observer questions

  • I teach following Mike Bell's five-step model: Prior, Present, Challenge, Feedback, Repeat. Where do you think I am weakest?
  • What are things that were surprising to you?

2026-01-16

I will meet the observer on the day of teaching, at 12:30. I did not want to complicate things by suggesting to arrive at the end, as there is no fixed schedule. I think the beginning and end are the most interesting (as a teacher is talking most there), but I predict I will learn something from the observer observing midway: I ask him to be super critical!

Let's think about quizzes if I have the time for this today. This Monday I will not be able to login to Pelle myself, due to technical issues (my mobile phone is in repairs). Let's first check if I get away with this.

  • Check if can teach without 2FA
  • Check internal communication channels
  • Find out quizzing software

No, the quizzing software will be hardest. I do this first.

Should I do quizzes? It is mostly skills I teach. Maybe quizzes are unsuitable for that? Maybe I should just try...

OK, I tried Mentimeter. What I don't want is a scoreboard. What I do not want is that learners have to type their name. I conclude that a Menti Quiz is unsuitable.

Maybe a Menti Survey is suitable ...

Which of these are Pelle environments?

Console, Desktop, SSH, Terminal, ThinLinc, Website

How is the computer called that you are working on after login?

- Login node
- A login node
- The login node

Which of these can maybe be run on the login node? What are the cases where it depends?

- Copy a dataset to another folder
- Create a directory
- Download a dataset
- Edit a file using an IDE such as RStudio, VSCode or VSCodium
- Edit a file using a simple text editor such as `emacs`, `nano` or `vim`
- Run a Bash/Nextflow/Python/R script

Yes, a Menti Survey is suitable.

Time to read the literature on how to best use quizzes. I will search Google Scholar with 'best practices of using quizzes in teaching' and take the first useful hits.

  • [Tofade et al, 2013], usefulness 7/10:
    • 'The phrasing and clarity of words used in formulating a question greatly influences its effectiveness'
    • 'It is best to ask a variety of questions that address different cognitive levels and knowledge domains'
    • 'A psychologically unsafe environment will prevent students from expressing their thoughts and opinions aloud'
    • 'Two additional components of effective questioning are sequencing and balance. Sequencing is asking questions in a patterned order with the purpose to elicit meaningful responses from the audience. Balance is asking both convergent and divergent questions from multiple knowledge domains and at varying cognitive levels'
    • 'Wait time influences the quality and quantity of student responses as well'
    • 'a wait time of more than 20 seconds may be perceived as threatening and result in equally poor responses'
    • 'Pimping questions are typically asked in rapid succession, are unlikely to be answered correctly, and leave most learners feeling demoralized'
  • [Nguyen and McDaniel, 2015]: usefulness 5/10.
  • [Cook and Babon, 2017]: usefulness 2/10, follow learners' perspective

Hmmm, I see that Menti is quite capable of being interrupted and resumed. I like that!

I am unsure about the usefulness of the surveys to help improve my course (i.e. the self-rated confidence). However, they do help the learners. I keep these in for now.

Update:

  • Use xclock instead of eog
  • Replace Thunar by Pluma

References

  • [Tofade et al, 2013] Tofade, Toyin, Jamie Elsner, and Stuart T. Haines. "Best practice strategies for effective use of questions as a teaching tool." American journal of pharmaceutical education 77.7 (2013): 155.
  • [Nguyen and McDaniel, 2015] Nguyen, Khuyen, and Mark A. McDaniel. "Using quizzing to assist student learning in the classroom: The good, the bad, and the ugly." Teaching of psychology 42.1 (2015): 87-92.
  • [Cook and Babon, 2017] Cook, Brian Robert, and Andrea Babon. "Active learning through online quizzes: Better learning and less (busy) work." Journal of Geography in Higher Education 41.1 (2017): 24-38.