I teach at a college for working adults. Most of our students work at least one job and have many family obligations. In short, they are busy people looking to learn in the most efficient and effective way possible. To meet these needs, we offer online classes that include a weekly 90-minute synchronous session (attendance optional), which is recorded and posted within the course along with copies of any materials that were discussed. Real-time interaction with the professor is available through weekly virtual office hours and by appointment.
Even with all the flexibility, engagement and meaningful interaction, which serve as the foundation for building professional relationships, take extra work. Adult learners demand a different type of pedagogy; while the goal of any learner is to acquire new skills, the approach for teaching adult learners requires some consideration for their experience—in life and in work. Activities that foster interaction with others learning the same concepts provide support for a community of learning (Yarbrough, 2018). These teachings suggested that incorporating some form of project-based learning would help students learn. Of course, this was easier said than done. Structuring a project to foster interaction between busy adults felt impossible.
Adult students have legitimate concerns about project-based learning; busy personal schedules preclude meetings with classmates, and fear (not always unjustified) of the impact that a dysfunctional team may have on project grading is rational. Moreover, if an employer remits or partially reimburses tuition, potential financial concerns arise as many tuition support programs require a baseline grade for reimbursement. Still, we cannot overlook the potential positive benefits of a group learning experience. Working in a professional team to resolve a problem is an important skill to acquire—and one that takes practice. At most jobs, people rarely work in a vacuum; there are always others they will depend on to complete their work. Brainstorming with others to solve a tough problem can be rewarding for all involved, with a spirit of mutual respect evolving from the effort. I didn’t want my students to miss out on that experience.
When I first began teaching, I clung to assigning group projects and insisted that students would benefit if they just tried hard enough. But even with some coaching, teams frequently devolved into frustration and stress for the students. No one was walking away from the project feeling better for having done it. These projects resulted in students experiencing many of the downsides of group work and few, if any, of the benefits. So, I paused to assess, read some literature, and recalibrate. This led me to look at project-based learning in a different way. I wanted to build organic interaction and exchange of ideas without the pressure and expectations of formal grouping. After quite of bit of mapping and consulting with students, I decided to try a whole-class group effort and have the students build a wiki that, once fully populated, would serve as a reference guide for students as they begin careers in health administration. By “whole class,” I mean treat the entire class as the group; each member would be required to contribute and engage, and each would receive a grade reflecting their own effort. I would serve as the group’s leader, facilitator, editor, and coach.
Building the wiki
- Setup. I built the wiki directly into the online course, using the “collaborate” feature within our learning management system. This maximized efficiency so that busy students would not need to worry about establishing an account with a separate website. Since the class is a capstone, I aligned wiki chapters with six milestone topics studied across the major (leadership in healthcare, strategic and business planning, management and supervision, financial management, regulatory process and information management, and health policy and ethics). I set up a separate Google Doc for each topic and gave each student access to each of the documents.
- Presenting the assignment. I presented the prompt for the wiki during the first class meeting and explained the project’s purposes: (1) a chance to participate in a group project without the need for scheduling meetings or having to worry about group member activities; (2) writing a small version of a literature review, something that may help if the student is applying to graduate school; and (3) working together to produce a professional document to use as a reference tool at work.
The instructions prescribed form and format to maintain a cohesive style. Instructions also stated that substantive content must be accurate and well-researched and include information from two credible sources. Bearing in mind the limited time adult students have available, wiki article length was limited to 750–1,500 words. Students were provided an example wiki article and grading rubric. - Managing content. Students were required to select two topics to write about. To ensure full development of all chapters, I placed a “signup” sheet within the course for students to indicate which two separate chapters they would write for so that I could act as a broker if one of the chapter topics was light.
- Managing the time frame. The first wiki was due mid-session to allow for working with the student to improve and polish writing. The second was due three weeks later. The timing also allowed for balancing work responsibilities.
- Assisting with building content. After the first wikis were submitted, I provided feedback and worked with students to edit and prepare their piece for “publication” to the appropriate wiki chapter. If a submitted article did not meet stated criteria, I provided feedback and reassigned it to the student. As needed, I met with students to discuss improvements and provided feedback. Once it was finalized, I copied the article to its corresponding chapter for all students to review. (Note: students, articles were posted anonymously, both at the request of students and to promote objective comments).
- Completing peer reviews. As articles were posted to the wiki, the group aspect of the project materialized, and peer review began. Each student was required to review at least two wiki articles and provide substantive feedback by placing comments in the margins. Authors were encouraged to regularly check in on their articles to review questions and comments and, if comfortable with identifying their work, respond.[1] Grades for peer review were based on substance of comments. Offline engagement with others, while encouraged, was not part of the grade.
Summary
The goal of this project design was twofold: (1) to give students a chance to participate in a group project without having to coordinate directly with peers and (2) to foster professional relationships between students that would extend beyond the classroom. I have no scientific evidence to evaluate the project’s success, but anecdotally, it went well once the project began to unfold over the course of class. I believe it was helpful for students to read and read to others’ professional writing. And much to my delight, I did see substantive discussions within the wiki! Adult students need flexibility, and that includes a flexible approach to cultivating long-lasting friendships that can foster a career-spanning network of contacts.
[1] Articles were posted anonymously, but comments were identified so that students could reach out to commenters as needed.
Reference
Yarbrough, J. R. (2018). Adapting adult learning theory to support innovative, advanced, online learning—WVMD Model. Research in Higher Education Journal, 35. https://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/182800.pdf
Jacqueline B. Penrod is an associate professor at Peirce College in Philadelphia. She has taught in the Health Programs Department since 2016. Her teaching focuses on health policy, emotional intelligence in management, and legal aspects of healthcare administration and health information technology.
