Final Seating Plan for QaRS/v

Classroom Layout for QaRS/v

Here is the improved layout (as an HTML table) showing the classroom configuration when using a video camera with the QaRS approach (with the front of the room at the top):

Screen 1 (hiding table)				Screen 2
B2 & B3			Readings desk				Director & comp.
B1 & IR			2 students				2 students
Computer			2 students				2 students
Camera			Forms desk			Access to door
2 students			2 students				2 students
2 students			2 students				2 students
2 students			2 students				2 students
2 students			2 students				2 students
2 students			2 students				2 students
2 students			2 students				2 students
2 students			2 students			Access to door
2 students			2 students

In the normal arrangement of the classroom, the light blue, aquamarine, and light green seats are normally for 2 students like the white cells. The forms desk is just pushed back to create a cross aisle. The light blue section is more complicated. The first table is moved onto the lecturer’s platform, which puts it behind the left screen when it’s lowered. The next three tables are pushed back, which creates the space for the four chairs in front and provides enough distance for the camera, which is just behind the fourth table. The field of view of the camera covers all four students, the left screen and part of the right screen.

The QaRS/v stands for Question-answer Reading Statement with video. That captures more of the elements of the system than just QRS. The answers are divided between students’ responses to other students’ questions and their responses to review questions. The review questions are linked to green cards mixed into the deck of student avatar cards that randomize the students’ turns in front of the camera. Each student normally enters at the B-3 seat and moves down until reaching the IR seat.

Revised classroom layout for Video QRS

Here is the improved layout (as an HTML table) of the classroom configuration when using a video camera with the QRS approach (with the front of the room at the top):

Screen 1 (hiding table, etc.)					Screen 2
B2 & B3			2 students			Director & comp.
B1 & IR			2 students			2 students
Camera & computer			2 students			2 students
2 students			2 students		Access to door
2 students			2 students			2 students
2 students			2 students			2 students
2 students			2 students			2 students
2 students			2 students			2 students
2 students			2 students			2 students
2 students			2 students			2 students
2 students		Back aisle (created by shoving Forms desk back)
2 students			Forms desk		Access to door

This isn’t fully clear, mostly because most of the “2 students” rectangles are actually a desk with three chairs. Here is a more functional description in terms of preparing the classroom:

Step 1: The front left corner: Move the front desk behind where the screen will descend, along with the extra chairs. The chairs from the second desk are moved to the open area created when the second desk is pushed back against the third. The camera is actually behind the third desk, on the left side, and the reading computer is on the second desk, at the right side. The labels for the seats are on the seats themselves.

Step 2: Lower the screens and configure the display switches. Screen 1 is displaying the computer on that side, and Screen 2 is for the computer on the other side.

Step 3: Shove the Forms desk back, making those chairs unusable but creating a convenient aisle in the back for students who are switching sides of the classroom.

Note: With this open layout of the hot corner, the buffering can easily be increased by adding more chairs (using the extra chairs currently hidden behind the screen). If it takes too long for students to get to the corner, then the space will now allow for a buffer of at least 5 students. The potential problem is with the students who are seated against the walls on each side. (However, I just realized that I better measure the actual walking times from the most distant parts of the room.)

QRS with video

There are three primary objectives for recording the lessons with a camera:

1. Make sure that the in-class participation is assessed accurately
2. Define the focal point of the classroom
3. Provide constructive feedback to individual students on their participation

Here is the basic layout (as an HTML table) of the classroom when using a video camera with the QRS approach (with the front of the room at the top):

Screen 1					Screen 2
Front aisle
B2 & B3			2 students			2 students
B1 & IR			2 students			2 students
2 students			Camera			2 students
2 students			2 students		Access to door
2 students			2 students			2 students
2 students			2 students			2 students
2 students			2 students			2 students
2 students			2 students			2 students
2 students			2 students			2 students
2 students			2 students			2 students
2 students		Back aisle
2 students			Forms		Access to door

The camera is focused on the student in the IR seat, who is the current 1-minute star of the class. Students reach the IR by moving through the three buffers, from B₃ to B₁. Their turns are randomized by avatar cards, one for each student. To eliminate waits for the next star, the students are called in advance of their turn on camera, with a goal of 1 minute for each student in each turn.

Putting it in computer science terms, the idea is to maximize throughput with an approach based on double buffering with DMA. Because students are even slower than memory chips, the class uses a queue of buffers.

This next part is about the topics of privacy and permissions for the recordings of the class. At the beginning of the course I want to use a permissions’ form like this one:

Privacy Information Form: These lessons are recorded, primarily to insure the accuracy of the in-class evaluations and to help answer your questions. This form is about the use of your personal data, your recorded image.
How important is the privacy of your data to you?					Write 5 for “Extremely important” down to 1 for “Completely unimportant”:						____
The instructor can review the video. Here are some other specific uses of the video. Please indicate if you approve or reject. Please circle OK or NG for your response.
Video including me may be shown to an absent student.										OK	NG
Video including me may be shown to an absent student who has a good reason for being absent.										OK	NG
Video including me may be shown to any student of this class.										OK	NG
Video including me may be shown to any student.										OK	NG
My video can be used as a positive example.										OK	NG
My video can be used as a less positive learning example.										OK	NG
Your name:							Date:

Now the question is whether the form should be in English or Japanese?

Introducing the QRS approach

The basic idea of the QRS (Question, Reading, Statement) approach is that students get turns, and the current star of the show will selection one of those three options.

 

Limiting the Teacher’s Roles

This blog is intended to support the design and delivery of a technical writing course, and this first post is about my overall philosophy of the course. The next one will focus on the use of video, but there are lots of threads that I’m trying to pull together before the class actually starts in September.

In a typical large class the teacher handles many roles: star of the show, director, writer, and critic are just the most prominent ones. In teaching this class, my objective is to focus on my role as the director, and let the students handle the other roles as much as possible. I’m also combining elements of computer science, especially operating system principles, and gamification strategies. The video is primarily to control the focus of the students, so they will always know who the current stars are.

At this point I’ve actually been planning and researching various aspects of the course for several months. It would be quite difficult to cover everything in this blog, but writing things down will help me put all the pieces into proper order. If you are reading this I’m expecting that you may be confused by missing context, but you’re welcome to ask questions in the comments, though I’m hoping most of the questions will be addressed in later posts before anyone has a chance to ask…

So far the most helpful resources have actually been other teachers who have reacted to my descriptions of the class, especially the QRS system. In particular John Fanselow has frequently lent his sympathetic ears and eyeballs.

Leaving his sample quote in place as a reminder and example:

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton