Experiential Learning

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 3 distinct activities:

A Semi-Structured Group Interview protocol (30 minutes) where we talked with participants about digital writing and professional development
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
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.

The maps below represent 8 different instructor’s views of the tech ecology on the UNCC campus. While each map presents a unique perspective, there are some elements that appear fairly consistently on the maps, speaking to their importance to the tech ecology that these instructors see on campus. The three locations/groups that appear most frequently on the maps are the library where a digital production space called Area 49 is located, AISLE (Audiovisual Integration and Support for Learning Environments), and the Center for Teaching and Learning. Perhaps unsurprisingly, our interview and focus group data shows that there are intentional and ongoing relationships between these 3 entities and the University Writing Program, which is why they seem to be consistently references on the maps. UWP faculty work with the CTL on Quality Matters and provide workshops for faculty across campus. One of the librarians who works in Area 49 is a former colleague and instructor from the UWP. And AISLE shares the same building as the UWP and thus many instructors in the program were familiar with both its services and staff. Physical and relational proximity to resources is a key factor in building and sustaining techno-pedagogy professional development.

One notable difference between that maps is that some are strictly internally focused, emphasizing the ways faculty, staff and students engage with technology on campus, while others include the ways the campus is situated in the community and note the ways the community can/does engage with campus resources and the ways the resources are not accessible to those beyond the university.

In terms of influential experiences, hands-on experiences, either for personal or teaching purposes, were meaningful for all participants. Additionally, most of the mapmakers listed personal experiences making or designing digital/online texts as an influential experience in their technology pedagogy development. Many also listed prior experience as graduate students, including practicum courses and dissertations, as influential.

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.

Amy Colombo, PhD, Lecturer, University Writing Program

2.5 Years Teaching in the Program

Amy's list of influential experiences: (1) My dissertation (A digital, hypermediated edition of a book); (2) MFA in Photography (Traditional & Digital Printing); (3) Graphic Design Classes; (4) Book Arts Classes; (5) General interest in figuring out how things work; (6) MFA, Creative Writing (combination of text with images for creating multimodal texts)

Map Key

People (GREEN): Woodward Hall Lab Attendants, Kennedy Hall Center for Teaching and Learning Faculty, Atkins Library Librarians, Me (Amy), AISLE Staff
Events: (PURPLE): Kennedy Hall Orientation, Staff Meetings
Groups (YELLOW): Woodward Hall Makerspace Department, Atkins Library, AISLE Staff
Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): Kennedy Hall Regular Classrooms
Digital Spaces/Places (RED): Woodward Hall (3-D Printer, Digital Sewing, Laser Cutting), Kennedy Hall Active Learning Classrooms, Atkins Library Area 49, My Office computer, Cameron Hall Active Learning Classroom, AISLE Video/Digital Lab

Heather Crickenberger, Senior Lecturer, University Writing Program

11 Years Teaching in the Program

Heather's list of influential experiences: (1) Created my own online literary e-zine 2002-2004 at USC; (2) PhD studies and an online dissertation (2007) using HTML and generators-focusing on digital writing; (3) Focused studies of media and effect on content and writing approaches through the visual arts and digital art installation work through NCSU

Map Key

People (GREEN): Rowe Arts; Media Arts Department, EPIC Computer and Electrical Engineering, Duke Mechanical Engineering, CxC, Librarians; Cameron (University Writing Program), 2nd Floor (Systems Engineering), ITS tech support, English Department
Groups (YELLOW): Rowe Arts, Media Arts Department, EPIC Computer and Electrical Engineering, Ad Hoc Committee on Technical Writing, CxC, Cameron (University Writing Program), Fretwell
Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): Kennedy Hall Regular Classrooms, Atkins Library (High-Tech Spaces and Makerspaces), Room 109 (multi-screen), Mail Room with printers, Room 180 (multi-screen)

Barbara Presnell, Senior Lecturer

16 Years Teaching in the Program

Barbara's list of influential experiences: (1) Teaching 1103x (experimented course in "real world" writing); (2) Building my own websites; (3) Making my own movies; (4) Working of Honors College on building capstone eportfolios; (5) Teaching digital practices in the classroom

Map Key

People (GREEN): Technicians, People!, Voice, Librarians, Teachers; Other students, Fellow Faculty
Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): Labs, Library, Classrooms
Digital Spaces/Places (RED): Classroom lab, Area 49, Classrooms
Uncategorized: Computer Services, Classroom Support, HELP Line in in Library, CTL Support, VR, Vis Lab, iPads, Computer, Library Tech Checkout, Canvas Support

Jan Rieman, Senior Lecturer and Associate Executive Director, University Writing Program

12 Years Teaching in the Program

Jan's list of influential experiences: Writing in digital spaces myself; DMAC; Collaborative assignment design; Making my own digital portfolio

Map Key

People (GREEN): Center for Teaching and Learning, AISLE, Classroom Support
Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): Center for Teaching and Learning, AISLE, the Library, Wi-Fi Classrooms (most), Computer Labs (various places on campus)
Digital Spaces/Places (RED): The Library, Canvas, Banner, Wifi Access

Consuelo Salas, Assistant Professor of English

1 Year Teaching in the Program

Consuelo's list of influential experiences: (1) TA Training; (2) Readings, Pedagogical and Scholarly; (2) Supportive faculty/administration; (3) Campus support staff; (4) Conference talks as an attendee; (5) Willing student participation

Map Key

People (GREEN): Penny computer labs workers, Macey computer labs workers, Cameron science labs, wi-fi, Library, Burson science labs, IT offices, Bio-informatics computer and science labs
Events: (PURPLE): Center for Teaching and Learning, Library, Niner Central
Groups (YELLOW): Center for Teaching and Learning, Library, Niner Central, Google Suite
Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): Fretwell computer classrooms, Penny computer labs, Macey computer labs, Cameron science labs, Library, Burson science labs, IT offices, Bio-informatics computer and science labs
Digital Spaces/Places (RED): All classrooms have "smart podiums" (projectors, computers, wi-fi, speakers), Fretwell computer classrooms, Navigation apps, Eduroam, Niner Guest (public wi-fi), Library, Union, Canvas, DegreeWorks

Ashlyn Walden, Senior Lecturer

26 Years Teaching in the Program

Ashlyn's list of influential experiences: (1) Online writing instruction training course; (2) Trial and error with platforms; (3) Moodle 2 crashing mid-semester; (4) Developing model Canvas sites for program; (5) Internal faculty development workshops; (6) Quality Matters workshops; (7) Center for Teaching and Learning Workshops; (8) CTL Canvas design workshops; (9) Designing assignment guidelines; AISLE video training institute

Map Key

People (GREEN): Joan (UWP Director), Faculty internal to UWP who have worked extensively with platforms and create workshops and model courses, Online Writing Instruction Training in UWP, Area 49
Events: (PURPLE): Center for Teaching and Learning, Quality Matters Training, Faculty internal to UWP who have worked extensively with platforms and create workshops and model courses
Groups (YELLOW): Center for Teaching and Learning, AISLE Video Support Services, Quality Matters Training, GSOLE (UNCC has institutional membership), IT services/classroom support, Faculty Council
Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): Area 49, Video production studio through AISLE, UNCC Library
Digital Spaces/Places (RED): Online Writing Instruction Training in UWP, Go to Conferences, Dropbox, Google Suites (Faculty and Students), Area 49, Canvas model sites shared among faculty, IT Service Platforms website, 3rd-party sites like Google Drive, Wix, Wordpress

Tonya Wertz-Orbaugh, Lecturer

26 Years Teaching in the Program

Tonya's list of influential experiences: (1) Adopting W/D [Writer/Designer] as a required text; (2) Writer/Designer workshop with Cheryl Ball; (3) Trial and error: figuring it out by doing it (Digital Holocaust Research Guides and Survivor Websites); (3) E-Portfolio requirement (around 2010); (4) Course release work to study digital composition (SP. 16); (4) Digital Writing Summer Workshop (around '09)

Map Key

Groups (YELLOW): Canvas help phone number, CTL (Center for Teaching and Learning), Office of Classroom Support, Library in a MILLON WAYS
Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): Classrooms, Student Union, Dorms, All the campus/wi-fi, Library, Eating Places
Digital Spaces/Places (RED): Student Union, Classrooms, Library Instruction Classrooms, Area 49, Anywhere on campus (wi-fi)
Other (ORANGE): Websites, social media that the university or that the students create
Uncategorized: Fully online courses, hybrid courses, rent laptops-library, free software downloads, library research help desk, help desk number, 49er cards, NC Live, monitors in lobbies, Area 49, Smart classrooms (like Kennedy; 180 Cameron), computer sales and repairs store in Union, library electronics charging station, Canvas, Banner, Free software downloads for faculty, computer sales, electronic benefits sign up, online training, all library resources, Smart classrooms for meetings

Albert Victor Wray Jr., Lecturer, University Writing Program

7 Years Teaching in the Program

Bert's list of influential experiences: My own media experiences as artist, recording artist, computer curious person; Reading articles about digital pedagogy; Attending panels and presenting at 4Cs numerous times; University workshops; Faculty development; Reflection

Map Key

People (GREEN): Library staff, Faculty Development, UWP Department, Library research technology, Area 49 (3D printer, CNC router, sewing, paper, video studio, audio/video editors, gaming)
Events: (PURPLE): Faculty Development, Library research technology, Area 49 (3D printer, CNC router, sewing, paper, video studio, audio/video editors, gaming), library staff
Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): Area 49 (3D printer, CNC router, sewing, paper, video studio, audio/video editors, gaming), Atkins Library
Digital Spaces/Places (RED): Need portfolio technology platform, Office 365, Library checks out computers, iPads, cameras, and audio recorders, UWP department, LMS, Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Moodle 2, AISLE video, Atkins Library, Area 49 (3D printer, CNC router, sewing, paper, video studio, audio/video editors, gaming)
Uncategorized: Access A+, Student resources, $, helpful and collaborative, new innovation