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Experiential Learning

In their view, how did instructors learn how to teach digital writing and how do they currently network resources to support their teaching with technology?

On each site visit, we arranged map-making focus-groups with FYW instructors (full-time, part-time, and graduate students), in which we asked them to map the techno-ecologies on their campus.  

Our map-making focus groups were 90-minutes long in total. The first 10 minutes of each focus group were devoted to introductions and shuffling, and then we structured our remaining time into three distinct activities: 

  1. A Semi-Structured Group Interview protocol (30 minutes) where we talked with participants about digital writing and professional development
  2. A Map-Making protocol (30 minutes) where participants first created a list of the experiences they felt had best prepared them to teach digital writing and then followed instructions to map out their understanding of the techno-ecology on their campus
  3. A Debriefing Dialogue (20-30 minutes) where participants talked about their maps and how their maps did or did not align with the experiences they identified as having prepared them to teach digital writing

You can find additional detail about these focus groups on our Current Project Background page in the section titled "Details: Map Making Focus Groups." Below are pictures of maps made by participants. Below the visual of each map, we have transcribed each participant’s list of meaningful experiences and the items listed on their map.

From the 5 maps we collected, it is abundantly clear how much teaching with Marquette's FYE program, and being required to assign digital writing and supported in doing so successfully, mattered to participants. For instance, Therese Novotny's map is constructed to show how Marquette's FYE curriculum served as a bridge between her prior experiences and her experiences beyond Marquette. At the time of our visit, she was importing aspects of the digital curriculum and pedagogy into other institutions such as Milwaukee Area Technical College and Carroll University. 

While Therese's map is an outlier, focused mainly on prior experience in the non-academic positions and teaching FYE, there are striking similarities between the four other participants' maps and the program's professional development and strategic cross-campus partnerships and collaborations, suggesting transparency, efficacy, and value in the programmatically designed professional development. For example, there is a strong emphasis across maps on the value of hands-on work and both informal and formal conversations and collaborations, mirroring the emphasis on mentoring, collegiality, and micro-teaching in the New Teacher Orientation and the collaborative environment of Summer Work Groups. Likewise, the program's intentionally structural collaborations with the Library and Center for Teaching and Learning are reflected in these maps as well. 

Based on participants' lists and conversations, specific people or programs as well as active learning experiences emerged as particularly meaningful forms of technology pedagogy training and professional development, including (1) hands-on opportunities to compose digitally, to experiment with digital tools and in digital spaces, and to teach digital writing, (2) professional development opportunities at Marquette, including orientation, summer work groups, and the symposium, (3) personal and familial connections and interactions, and (4) informal and formal collegial interactions with colleagues on campus as well as in published literature. 

Below, please find listed (1) the name of map-making participants along with their titles and number of years teaching in the program; (2) a photo of the map that they created; (3) a transcribed list of their ranked list of experiences that they felt best prepared them to teach digital writing; and (4) a map key that explains what the dots/stars on each map mean (e.g. People, Physical Spaces) along with a transcribed list by dot/star category naming elements that participants included on their maps. 

Lillian Campbell, Assistant Professor of Rhetoric & Composition

3 Years Teaching in the Program

Tehcno-Ecology Map by Lillian Campbell

Lillian's list of ranked influential experiences: (1) Composition program at graduate university; (2) Colleagues in English Department; (3) Digital Scholarship Lab [DSL] at MU; (4) Composition Program at MU; (5) Writing Studies conferences; (6) Use of digital sources in my scholarship; (7) Production of digital media for personal/professional work; (8) Writing Studies scholarship

Map Key

  • People (GREEN): Director of FYW; Course Assistants; Colleagues; Elizabeth (digital librarian); Liaisons to FYW program; Individual class point person; DSL support people-students and staff; Director of Online Education; initiatives to support online teaching
  • Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): Digital Scholarship Lab
  • Digital Spaces/Places (RED): Digital Poster Assignment, online shared materials; templates; DSL online materials; D2L Course platform; Sharepoint platform; Library Guides for courses; Library digital search systems; Resources that help students navigate digital research and production; PowerPoint; Prezi; Facebook; Twitter; Various web-creating platforms (Weebly); Online resources to support teaching
  • Groups (YELLOW): First-Year Writing Program; Center for Teaching and Learning
  • Events (PURPLE): Training sessions for faculty to work with university systems (i.e. D2L)

Jackielee Derks, Instructor/Graduate Student

5 Years Teaching in the Program

Tehcno-Ecology Map by Jackielee Derks

Jackielee's list of ranked influential experiences: (1) Jenn Fishman [WPA]; (2) Building my own website/teaching portfolio; (2) TAO [Teaching Assistant Orientation] (3) Trial and error—each semester I learned more; (3) My students; (4) DSL (Digital Scholarship Lab) @ Marquette; (4) Librarians; (4) DSL staff; (4) Brainstorming with colleagues; (5) My child; (5) Testing various platforms; (6) Writing Symposium--presenting and attending; (6) Curriculum summer workgroups; (6) Digital Humanities Symposium @ MU

Map Key

  • People (GREEN): Heather James; Elizabeth Gibes; Librarians; Jessie Wirkus Haynes (Asst. WPA); Jenn Fishman; Leatha Miles-Edmondson
  • Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): DSL (Digital Scholarship Lab) Space; 707 HUB space; Archives; Library Space
  • Digital Spaces/Places (RED): Library; Digital Archives; Databases; Institutional Repository
  • Groups (YELLOW): 707 HUB Staff; DSL Staff; English Department; TA's; Faculty; RAs
  • Tools (PURPLE): 707 HUB tools; 3-D printers; Scanners; White Boards
  • Services (ORANGE): Consultations (Library); Class Visits

Jenna Green Azab, Visiting Assistant Professor of English

5 years Teaching in the Program

"Tehcno-Ecology"

Jenna's list of ranked influential experiences: (1) Graduate Program (UWM, Anne Wysocki); (2) FYE Curriculum; (3) Student Work; (4) Reading digital writing (public not academic); (5) Writing myself; (6) Conversation (informal) with colleagues; (7) Professional development; (8) Program pedagogy meetings/workshops; (9) Academic journals/texts; (10) My own research projects

Map Key

  • People (GREEN): Students; Faculty; Staff; Me; Public/Guests
  • Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): ID card needed (Prohibitive to public/guests); Library; Writing Center; CTL; classroom
  • Digital Spaces/Places (RED): D2L; mu.edu; AUO not open to the public; check marq.
  • Groups (YELLOW): Digital Humanities in the Library; CTL; English Dept.
  • Other (ORANGE): Broader Cultural Influences

Therese Novotny, Adjunct Lecturer

8 years Teaching in the Program

Tehcno-Ecology Map by Therese Novotny

Therese's list of ranked influential experiences: (1) Prior to my PhD program in 2010, I worked in a PR agency on a variety of accounts where I wrote digital components.

Map Key

  • People (GREEN): ZJS Public Relations Firm, Consulting projects, Librarian assigned to class, Elizabeth Gibes-Digital Research Center, Pilot Peer Group
  • Digital Spaces/Places (RED): Librarian helped teach in classroom during pilot and designed materials
  • Groups (YELLOW): ZJS Public Relations Firm, Lowes Hardware Context, Content for revisions, audio/visual content for interviews, English 101 Pilot Program w/Digital Unit

Jessie R. Wirkus Haynes, Instructor/Graduate Student, Former Assistant Director of FYE

3 years Teaching in the Program

Tehcno-Ecology Map by Jessie R. Wirkus Haynes

Jessie's list of ranked influential experiences: (1) Jenn Fishman [WPA]; (2) TAO (Teaching Assistant Orientation); (3) Other instructors; (3) Teaching curriculum summer workgroups; (4) Librarians/DSL [Digital Scholarship Lab]; (5) Internet; (5) Writing Symposium; (6) Practicum; (7) 707 Hub/Kelsey Otero; (8) Faculty mentors; (9) My children

Map Key

  • People (GREEN): Elizabeth Gibes; Heather James; Tara B.; Kelsey Otero; Jenn Fishman; Lily Campbell; Leah Flack; Jackielee Derks; Wendy
  • Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): Libraries; DSL; 707 HUB; CTL; English Department
  • Digital Spaces/Places (RED): Libraries; 707 HUB; CTL
  • Groups (YELLOW): IR; Entrepreneurship; Social Innovation; PFFP (Preparing Future Faculty & Professionals); Workshops; Mentors; Faculty; Cohort/Colleagues; AEGS (Association of English Graduate Students); Writing Symposium
  • Events (PURPLE): Workshops; Writing Symposium
  • Other (PINK): Library consultations; Work with my classes; My research; Digital scanning; Digital printing; 3-D Printer; 3-D Printing; Spaces for writing groups
Experiential Learning