Making Learning Visible: Reflection for 2022
At the end of the term, reflection mode commences. One activity that I planned to regularly incorporate was the SAIL activity (Share-Ask-Ideas-Learned). I used SAIL for all my student workers this term. For those who were experienced at DigiSpace, we began the term with the SAIL activity to brainstorm digital project ideas. One of the my goals as a supervisor is to find ways that students can build their skills as they also contribute to our program. That translates into students selecting a digital format and tool, and then creating a project, with content of their choosing. This semester, we had three new consultants. They each completed some basic training at the beginning of the term, and we completed a SAIL activity for each new team member as part of our monthly team meetings.
This was the process as it unfolded for Isaac, one of our new team members. Isaac, a junior, had a deep digital skill set when he joined our team. Prior to joining the UNE community as a sophomore, he had taken courses that required audio and video editing. Having also completed the course Social Applications of Web 2.0 (CMM 240) at UNE, Isaac was ready to get started on his project during his first term on our team.
During our October team meeting, Isaac shared (S) his idea: to use audio to discuss the experience of being a transfer student (pictured above). The DigiSpace team then asked (A) questions about his intended audience, format, and themes. Next, we offered ideas (I) such as incorporating UNE resources to help new transfer students. After considering our feedback, Isaac noted what he had learned (L) and what he might do next.
Before his first recording, Isaac practiced setting up and using the audio equipment, on loan from the College of Arts and Humanities (sound check pictured above), and he assisted in a library project to get some practice with the equipment. In December, Isaac and few friends recorded. As he edits, he will continue to make choices about the length of his podcast episodes, the focus of each, and the number of episodes he would like to create. He will share his work via his ePortfolio as he works toward his multimodal badge.
Based on this semester and our use of the SAIL activity, I plan to incorporate it in the future to provide DigiSpace consultants with support as they imagine and create projects. For next term, I plan to incorporate peer review into the process as students move forward with their projects. Paramount to me is the belief that my team members feel invested in creating projects that deepen their digital skills while also engaging their creative process, for their own benefit as well as for the team’s. As team members, they provide administrative support to me and peer support to the UNE community, but their digital projects should be centered on their goals and interests.
