As posted previously, the Barony Campus Certificate in Forestry students had successfully carried out their ‘stunning’ team-based Learning Outcome 1 (LO1) Tree Identification Sway presentations within the Digital Classroom. So stunning, teaching staff at Barony Campus have been asking how they can also access Microsoft’s Sway in order to potentially create teaching and learning resources for their students.
With last academic year’s Certificate in Forestry students individual LO1 assessment, it was found that 90% of the students did not pass the assessment first time. This year’s students, it was found that 50% had passed LO1 first time round. Evident that the new online Tree Identification Unit within Moodle and the students collaborating with their LO1 presentations has improved the teaching, learning and assessment for LO1.
The next ambitious phase to the Tree Identification Unit is where the same student teams were required to plan, develop and submit a Sway e-Portfolio with 5 allocated trees for identification for Learning Outcome 2 (LO2) and Learning Outcome 3 (LO3). Guidance on the criteria for LO2 & LO3 were embedded within their online Tree Identification Unit in Moodle where the student teams included within their Sway e-Portfolios on the following from research:
- Common English Name – Provide the Common English Name within the team’s e-Portfolio for all trees.
- Scientific Name – The Scientific Botanical name covering Family and species (including correct upper and lowercase type use).
- Their own taken images – using your Smartphone, College Tablet to cover the five images below. Also, written description is required in their words for each image within their team’s Sway e-Portfolio for the following:
1. leaf
2. bud
3. fruit, seed, cone
4. bark
5. Common shape; for example, tree shapes for landscaping: www.thespruce.com/typical-tree-shapes-4122056
When taking their own image evidence, the students were required to use a pen/pencil as evidence of scale of their trees and to make sure the students did not copy from the Internet. Here is the example provided to the students:
Example of Common shape:
- Additional information required from the students teams included – Preferred site requirement for growing the species of trees;
– such as preferable soil type that the trees grows in.
– Light requirements needed i.e. is it shade loving or light demanding for establishment?
– Current uses for the timber.
The student teams were also provided with a basic Sway exemplar within Moodle as ‘basic’ guidance:
Sessions were held within the Digital Classroom so that the student teams received guidance from their lecturer for LO2 and LO3, as well as collaboratively researching and co-creating their LO2 & LO3 Sway e-Portfolios at their Teammate tables.
A deadline date was set for the student teams to submit a link to their team’s LO2 & LO3 Sway e-Portfolio to Moodle for another team to peer review according to provided criterion.
Blue Team’s LO2 & LO3 Sway e-Portfolio where the team covered Western Hemlock, Larch, Lodgepole Pine, Common Ash and Norway Maple:
Yellow Team’s LO2 & LO3 Sway e-Portfolio where the team covered Yew, Norway Spruce, Common Beech, Wild Cherry and Common Alder:
This cohort of practical based students were the first to pilot the Barony Campus Digital Classroom with the Tree Identification Unit and were asked what they like about the Digital Classroom:
Harris stated: “I like the layout and how you can stream one screen to all the other screens, especially for presentations. I liked gathering information and putting it all together for use in the Digital Classroom”
Lucas stated: “I have liked how you can send ideas and documents to fellow team members. I also like how devices can be put on the big screen so the whole group can see. I also like how everyone can give ideas so that everyone in the group knows what you are talking about.”
Ben Stated: “Collaborative learning is fun and helpful”.
Craig stated: “I like how it is an enjoyable way to learn and has potential”.
Hayden stated: “Its a new unique style of learning and doing work.”
Throughout this Tree Identification project, team scoreboards for their LO1 Socrative Quizzes, LO1 Presentations and their LO2 & LO3 Sway e-Portfolios formative scoring were displayed within Moodle to encourage friendly competition.
Out of a maximum score of 340
Purple Team – 226
Blue Team – 206
Yellow Team – 206
Green Team 187