My Teaching Philisophy
Teaching Philosophy
Constructivism: I believe that learning is student-centered. Therefore, your learning environment is designed to create an experience support you in developing the skills of active-learning, self-discipline and time management. Your learning will be based on your past experience, group interactive participation, research, and creative analysis. I am your guide. Teaching and learning are social activities. Although you are responsible for your learning, you'll use the power of your classmates to assist in your learning and assessment processes. Let's make learning fun.
Collaboration: Since we are an online community, a major indicator that you are actively involved in this course is your participation in collaborative reviews and discussions. The quality of your posts in the FORUMS will demonstrate your comprehension of the material. The collaborative discussions provide the benefit of the expansion and exploration of a topic which is not possible when working in isolation. Code reviews by classmate buddies are required before submission of homework. These code reviews will train you to troubleshoot source code, work in teams, and benefit from exposure to alternative perspectives.
Time Management: The modules and assignments for this course are released and due on a weekly basis. Plan to spend a certain amount of time on the course (7-9 hours/week), and structure your week to include time to do your online studies and collaborative code reviews. All assignments have 3 dates: an open date for early submission, a due date by which all first drafts should be submitted, and an expiration date by which resubmissions should be submitted. All submissions require a code review sign-off from a classmate buddy.
I believe in perfection-based grading and I offer plenty of opportunities for you to submit perfect assignments:
- code reviews for each assignments with a classmate
- early submission after sign off by the code reviewer so I can assess and assign points
- resubmission BEFORE the expiration date of the assignment if I suggest revisions
I also model time management by grading at specified times. If your assignment is not submitted by the due date, you may lose a grade or not have the assignment reviewed until the following week. Since the lessons build upon one another, it's essential that you submit on time.
Assessments: Everyone can get an "A" in this course. I grade on your personal best and hope to guide you towards creation of professional work habits, skills and portfolios. Code reviews and peer assessment are an essential part of collaborative (team) work in the web, multimedia, and graphics industries. The ability to analyze and deconstruct the code of .fla or .html files will assist in the development of your professional skills. Sample solutions are provided for most assignments. These solutions can be found either in the lessons or the assignments links. The functionality should be the same for all assignments but the creative design and choreography of elements should be original.
I may not comment a lot on the assignments that are basically procedural, but I will comment critically and in detail on assignments that are project-based. Project-based assignments include your midterm, storyboard, and final projects.
Expectations: As an adult learner, I expect that you will be a responsible participant in our online community. Please contact me promptly if you have technical difficulties, schedule conflicts, or personal problems. Most adult learners have responsibilities in life other than the student role. You'll do best in this course if you identify the roles in your life and factor in structured time for your learning. We all have unique qualities to contribute to this class based on our other roles. Let's be successful in all our roles.
online education - anytime/anywhere!
Code Review "Buddies" and Your Real World Final Project: Each assignment has a requirement for a code (buddy) review before submission to the ETUDES Assignment link. Think of these buddies as classroom study groups. Different buddies will provide you with the most variety of assessments and feedback, and open your eyes to new ways of seeing how you can use certain features more efficiently or creatively. All the assignments in all my courses will prepare you for a real world final project.
Contact Information - The best way to contact me is by email - rdcormia@earthlink.net