Was the self-grading quiz for your flipped classroom under copyright?

The reading and material for week 4 included a range of topics that are interconnected. The first resource was a copyright chart, available at: http://www.halldavidson.net/copyrigh.pdf

This subtle yet crucial resource is often overlooked at every level of education. The chart details restrictions on how teachers utilize copies, video, and images in the classroom. Some material under copyright (print) has very specific limits, including number of words or a percentage of material. It was surprising to learn that there are limits on how long you can use material that is under copyright. In the past, I was under the assumption that these materials could be used indefinitely. Thinking about my educational career path (music), copying sheet music is an important part of the job. Much of this music is under copyright, although copies for educational purposes (performance/study) are often permitted. 

Next, an article called “No U-Turn Syndrome” (Available at https://dougjohnson.wikispaces.com/file/view/nouturn.pdf) detailed intellectual property and its use. I was particularly struck by a quote at the beginning of the article: 

“While intellectual property, especially in digital formats, becomes an increasingly important  "wealth generator" throughout the world, the laws surrounding it are becoming less understandable, more complex, and less relevant, especially to this generation of re‐mixers and content‐sharers.”

We see evidence of this scenario on many popular websites. For example, students may repost interesting videos or images on Facebook, Twitter, and beyond, but may not give credit to the true authors. The use of intellectual property also runs rampant through the use of “meme’s” (Short animated GIF’s, often taken from copyrighted TV and movie material). These “meme’s” are now available to text on iPhones, possibly blurring copyright laws further. 

The article also discussed how teachers should be role models when using copyrighted material. From my perspective, I didn’t fully appreciate copyright until I made several professional music recordings. Reflecting on the hard work that goes into the recording, it is extremely frustrating to see someone use the material without giving credit!

In the ever-changing world of copyright law, teachers need to lead by example. When in doubt, err of the side of the user. Be careful!

The next area of material focused on the concept of “Flipped Classrooms”. This article is located at: https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7081.pdf. Not so shockingly, a flipped classroom is exactly what it sounds like: flipped. A majority of the instruction takes place at the student’s home, through short video lectures. In-class time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions.The value of a  flipped class is in the repurposing of class time into a workshop where students can inquire about lecture content, test their skills in applying knowledge, and interact with one another in hands-on activities. Video lectures let students learn at their own pace at home, before coming to class.  In a traditional lecture, students often try to capture what is being said at the instant the speaker says it. They cannot stop to reflect upon what is being said, and they may miss significant points because they are trying to transcribe the instructor’s words. 

This type of teaching is essentially how I run my violin studio. I do introduce new material and concepts at the first lesson of a new unit, but after that, students spend significant time studying and understanding material at home. When we meet in person, our lesson room turns into a “laboratory” where we test the effectiveness of technical concepts and procedures.  I particularly liked the video example of the flipped music lesson. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwllN3ANHdY). The concepts of key changes described in the video are very hard to teach! I wish I had this type of resource in my high school music theory class!

Next, the resources turned towards grading - specifically self-grading quizzes. This video is available here: 

http://classroomnext.blogspot.com/2011/04/creating-self-grading-quizzes-using.html

The video shows how to create a quiz on google. They are surprisingly easy to make! This resource incorporates technology for the students, while making the teacher more efficient. This type of grading also takes away any issue of bias. I am learning that teachers need to embrace technology, as students become more technologically advanced each year. This is a great way to do so!

The final resource is an article detailing how to write successful multiple choice questions. http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/rules-for-multiple-choice-questions/

I really wish some of my teachers had access to this list when I was in high school. I always felt like there was a teacher that would write confusing or misleading multiple choice questions on our exams, just to confuse us. He should have consulted the following list!

10 important steps for writing quizzes

1. Test comprehension and critical thinking, not just recall
2. Use simple sentence structure and precise wording
3. Place most words in the question stem
4. Make all distractors plausible
5. Keep all answer choices the same length
6. Avoid double negatives
7. Mix up the order of the correct answers
8. Keep the number of options consistent
9. Avoid tricking test takers
10. Use “all of the above” and “none of the above” with caution