Pedagogy

Trace Pedagogy:

Teaching Minds to Leave Marks Only They Can Make

I am an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Temple University Japan (TUJ). I teach courses on international business, environmental studies, and race & diversity.

I have achieved excellence in my courses by leveraging the benefits and addressing the drawbacks of the 'Flipped Classroom' and 'Minimally Invasive Education (aka Self-Organizing Learning Environments -- SOLEs)' methods. These innovative methods allow my students to tailor my courses to their immediate and strategic needs which have a direct positive effect on their academic engagement. Under my guidance and consistent feedback, students design a self-directed learning environment that suits their learning pace and main interests. I have also incorporated findings from my research on enhancing collective intelligence through Metamarks to guide and encourage my students on documenting and sharing their learnings and challenges in honest, informative, and systematic ways through a method I call the 'Trace Pedagogy'.

I embrace Generative AI as a powerful learning-assistance tool. I also provide explicit AI Literacy training based on the latest peer-reviewed findings to help my students master this technology. Some of the techniques I use to guide students in harnessing the possibilities, and mitigating the risks, of this disruptive technology are: reverse engineering and collective excitation based on tailor-made scaffolds as well as self-directed, experiential, and group learning.

I resort to various techniques to instill grit, growth mindset, and divergent thinking (1, 2, 3) in students. This cognitive toolbox helps them thrive under the novelties and pressures created by self-directed learning environments.

Students in my classes are also fundamentally challenged while being pushed to actively collaborate with classmates on meaningful projects and activities before and during class. They collectively build a community of practice based on the principle that the more they share, the more they learn and grow as members of a community that they nurture and that looks after them.

I classify and provide open individual feedback in every class to reward the students leading the collective effort and to signal to the cohort what the best practices and main lessons learned are.

Every student is treated as a professional. Students are held accountable for their actions and assume responsibilities in a mature manner especially when it comes to meeting expectations and deadlines.

Students are also trained to communicate effectively and appropriately while finding ways to be productive. They are expected to act ethically and respectfully at all times and be a team-oriented individual who possesses strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills.

Students in my courses can expect to acquire the well sought-after and fun skills of digital storytelling through the introduction and application of various creative software, so they can become effective positive changemakers for their communities and increase the market value of their academic knowledge, creative process, and technical abilities.

Students also enjoy the opportunity to interact with scholars and professionals depicting proven and significant knowledge and skills. Students can expect to learn from and network with two to four guest speakers every semester.

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