The Classroom Technology

 

See this screen? I have come to hate this screen. Let me take you through the journey of why...

I teach in “smart” classrooms. (Ugh, I hate that term. It just means there are computers and projectors. Computerization should never be touted as “smart” or “intelligent.”) Classroom computers are vital to teaching, allowing instructors to run PowerPoint, use iClickers, show videos, and a myriad of other things. If there are problems with the classroom computers, it impairs the classroom experience for everyone. In the worst case, it brings everything to a crashing halt (foreshadowing).

Having used computerized classrooms since they were first introduced, I have a lot of experience with them. That means having a lot of experience with failures, as they’re called in the human factors literature. Here’s an example. In recent years, the classroom computers were not set up to boot like the normal computer you have. At boot time, the classroom computers load an “image”. That is, they do not load Windows 10 from a hard drive inside the computer, they load it completely from scratch over the local area network. There are a number of reasons for doing this, including security. (We wouldn’t want another computer security breach, would we?)

But here’s the problem with this approach. If (when?) the local area network goes down, the classroom computer will freeze. Now, if it was a typical computer, it would still run. That is, I would still be able to continue showing PowerPoints and keep on teaching--I just wouldn’t have Internet access. But with the network image approach, the classroom computer is dead, and basically class is over. (Or I could use the whiteboard, in classrooms that actually have one. Or I could use the document camera. These options are awkward, and obviously very limiting.)

In July, IST announced upcoming “summer upgrades” based on VMware Horizon to classroom computers. According to the blog post, these so-called were being done “To improve efficiency and effectiveness...faster boot times for users, provide access to current technologies (Windows 10, Office 2016), and provide increased security.” First, I hate when a change is called an “upgrade.” This was not going to be an upgrade; really, it was a downgrade. Here are some of the specific issues:

• The computers were already running Windows 10 and Office 2016, so the upgrade was not going to provide something that previously did not exist.
• Applications would now be run not on the computer in the actual classroom, but on a virtual computer running on a server across campus.
• Classroom computers would no longer be able to play actual DVDs, despite having a DVD drive. If you want to play a DVD, you would need to ask for a portable DVD player to be brought to the classroom. (Not all instructors know exactly when they will need to play a DVD; some of us play things off DVDs in nearly every class. This is an inelegant, cumbersome workaround, known in computer jargon as a kludge. It is a derogatory term.)
• Using “large files such as video clips... through their USB key will experience extremely poor playback performance and is not advised” (emphasis in original). Er, WTF? I spent hours over the summer converting my content on DVDs to digital files, and now they won’t work? And how large is “large”? I asked that question, and never got a response.
• IST recommended playing videos off YouTube. So I spent more time uploading my DVD video files to YouTube, only to have them rejected because they contained copyrighted material. No shit.

In August, I tried out their new system in a computer lab on campus. It did not go well. Even though I followed their recommendations (which now included Google File Stream, which streams content from Google Drive), videos stuttered and audio was out of sync with video. The iClicker application just crashed over and over.

Last semester did not go well. Almost every video I showed in class stuttered--some just froze completely for a solid minute, as did even PowerPoint. (There’s nothing like twiddling my thumbs in a class full of hundred of increasingly restless students staring at me while I nervously mumble, “It’ll start up again. Soon. Probably.”)

Every colleague who I talked to complained about the new system--they brought it up even if I didn’t. Not a single person liked it; not a single person had anything good to say about it. I guess some feedback made its way back to IST, who finally released an email on September 14:

IST has made technical changes to the way we deploy operating systems and applications to centrally booked classrooms and computer labs, and we apologize for the frustrations the issues have caused. We are working diligently to find solutions to common issues that are impacting podium computers in the classrooms. We do have mitigation strategies in place and want to ensure we apply the right solution going forward.

Due to technical complications uncovered during the upgrade, we will be restoring a number of targeted classrooms back to their original state starting Friday, September 14, 2018, in order to improve the instructors’ overall teaching experience in these classrooms.

We are aware there are still ongoing issues arising in classrooms. We are actively working on solutions to ensure you are able to utilize classrooms to their full capability.

The rest of the email is basically a list of the problems with either a) we’re-working-on-it language, or b) claims that everything should work. Both of these are, obviously, not helpful in any way. And sadly, the “targeted classrooms” did not include rooms for my two biggest classes.

That is why I hate the VMware login screen at the top of this post. First, I have to log in with my UAlberta credentials, then I have to enter my UAlberta email address, then I have to log in to Google Drive with my UAlberta credentials again. And if I want to get into eClass, I have to log in one more time. That's four times that I have to enter my UAlberta credentials. (If I look stressed and frustrated at the start of class, now you know why.)

Despite my complaints and kicking and screaming about how awful they've made the workflow, IST did...nothing.

But then, at the end of November, IST did something. They sent around a Classroom Technology Survey. From the email:

This survey provides an opportunity for you to help influence decisions as IST plans for the future needs of our centrally managed classrooms. In particular, we would like to know how you use the technology in the classrooms and what technology issues you encounter while teaching.

What is this? At long last, IST has actually started to consult with stakeholders on the deployment of classrom technology. By January, IST had compiled a list of “functional requirements” based on the survey results, and I was asked to meet with the Manager and Project Coordinator. This is the first time in 25 years of teaching that I’ve been asked to provide my input on the technology provided in classrooms.

There were some issues with their requirements. Like “Ability to set up and be ready to teach within the 10 minutes between classes”. Sometimes I have to run to class from a seminar or meeting; often the previous instructor has not logged out and is still standing in front of the computer. I need the computer to be ready in 5 minutes--no, less than that. Another one: “Having the latest version of MS Office”. Classroom computers currently have Office 2013 installed; the “latest version” is Office 2016. Or actually, the continually updated Office 365 insider fast build is. (No, I certainly do not want to be running beta builds of software in a classroom.)

The bottom line for me is that I just want the classroom computers to work. The best technology is the one that gets out of my way and lets me do my job. As part of my meeting with IST, I suggested that they should also consult with another important stakeholder group: students. We'll see what happens with that. In the meantime, your continued patience and understanding during in-class technical glitches are appreciated.

Why aren’t you studying?

Update: 7/19/2019
Just got a memo from IST. They're rolling back the classroom computers to the way they were before, effective this September. That means all the time and effort I spent to make my lectures work with VMware is now out the window. Argh! So now I have to go back to using a USB drive?

I have mixed feelings about this. Clearly, rolling out VMware was a mistake. (Whose mistake is not clear. Would IST buy this enterprise solution without planning its capabilities in our IT environment? Would the vendor oversell its capabilities?) I'm glad I won't have to deal with the embarrassing freeze-ups in the middle of class anymore. But I did like using Google Drive as a sort-of backup (which I will continue to do). Now I'll have to run my lectures from my USB drive. I just better not forget it in my classrooms (again). But that's another story...

The 25 Years: The Skills

I taught my first class 25 years ago: it was PSYCO 354: Foundations of Cognitive Science. The regular professor, Dr Michael Dawson (who was also on my PhD advisory committee), was going on sabbatical and chose me to teach his course. My emotions included surprise (that he didn’t pick one of his own graduate students) and terror (at having to teach an actual course in front of actual students). Lots of terror.

Fortunately for me, Dr Dawson generously gave me the slides that he used to teach the course. Back in 1994, “slides” did not mean PowerPoint--it meant actual slides. Like in a slide projector. I remember lugging the 20-pound projector to and from the classroom in Tory twice a week. But carrying heavy objects was the easiest part of teaching the course. I was completely on my own in terms of teaching--I hadn’t taken a single seminar, read a book, or anything related to teaching. In fact, I figured/hoped that teaching would NOT be a big part of my future.

Cut to today. Aside from the occasional research study, teaching is what I do. It’s all I do. Wanting to do the best possible job, I have invested a lot of time and effort into developing my skills. Being a half-decent instructor at one of the top 5 universities in Canada takes a lot of work, and an incredibly diverse set of skills. Here are some of the tools in my toolbox:

The Content:

As a psychological scientist, I have to know what’s what in the field of psychology--not an easy thing when global scientific output doubles every 9 years. In fact, it’s impossible: there is too much to know. Although a lot of my knowledge is targeted to the courses I teach (behaviour modification, cognition, perception, human factors & ergonomics), there still is the moving target of introductory psychology.

The PSYCO 104 course cuts across most (but thankfully, not all) of the field of psychology. How could I possibly consider myself an expert in the history and methods of psychology, neuroscience, behavioural genetics, and consciousness? At least there’s overlap with my knowledge in perception, perception, and memory from my other courses. But I still struggle to keep up with current thought in motivation and emotion.

Albert Einstein was reported to have said, “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.” That’s how I feel--even about subfields in which I’m supposedly an expert. There’s always more to know...

The Pedagogy:

Pedagogy, according to the Google, refers to “the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept.” In other words, How do you teach? As a scientist, the way is clear: apply evidence-based pedagogy. Of course, that means keeping up with another whole set of research literature. I am thankful that psychology intersects with learning theory directly, so it’s not too much of a stretch. But understanding how teaching and learning work is not exactly “my area.”

Over the years, I have applied all kinds of pedagogical best practices. Active learning? Check. Hybrid learning? Yup, dating back to 2000 in fact. Learning outcomes? Ever since day 1, back in 1994. Way ahead of the curve on that one. I don’t think of myself as a leader when it comes to pedagogy--I’m just trying to be the most effective instructor I can be. But I’m getting to an age where people are starting to see me as some wise old sage. If I can pass on my knowledge to help my colleagues, so much the better. I have tried to do some original experimental research on the scholarship of teaching and learning myself, but it’s hard to find the time. Which reminds me, I need to write up some of my research into a paper when I have a spare moment...

The Presentation:

Both behind and in front of the scenes, I rely on Microsoft Office to help me get the job done. I start with Word, developing learning objectives, writing outlines, and then lectures. It seems silly to say that “I have Word skills.” It’s taken over 20 years, but I am finally able to grasp the subtleties of styles, headings, and macros.

Next come the two formats students see: I convert lecture content into both HTML and PowerPoint, formatting as necessary. I use Notepad++ to hand-code HTML, with CSS and some limited Javascript. I’m on HTML 4.01 (strict) now, and am contemplating the pros and cons of moving to HTML5. Although I’m still struggling with PowerPoint (especially customizing slide masters and layouts), I’m able to embed Flash objects

For some technology components, I’m at the mercy of third parties. In many of my courses I use iClickers. The software that runs the polls has changed a lot since they bought Reef and integrated it into their existing software. I have to keep on top of what has been updated or changed. Likewise, UAlberta’s eClass (running the open-source LMS Moodle) gets regular updates, which rework the UI. Yup, I’ve got to learn how that works, too. Just when I think I’ve know how to use something, it gets changed. iClickers will no longer be supported later this year, so there’s a replacement I’ll have to spend my summer figuring out. Yay.

The Everything Else:

The final component is the glue that holds all of the above together: organizing and planning. If I cannot organize all of the above in a coordinated and comprehensive way, and if I cannot formulate a plan to deliver on my learning objectives, I will not be an effective teacher. There are a lot of great tools that help me with time management, from checklists to online calendars to an early PDA back in the day (a Handspring Visor, which I still have somewhere).

This list is not meant to be a boast about all the mad skillz I have. Partly, it’s a reflection on all of the skills and abilities that I have developed over my career. But I also wanted to show a behind-the-scenes look at the work and effort that goes into delivering a course that students may not realize.

Why aren’t you studying?

Where are they now? Part 3

It's been an embarrassingly long since I've written an updated "Where are they now?" post. Partly, that's my fault--but it's also partly other peoples' faults. I don't often hear from students after they graduate; mostly, it's people for whom I've written a letter of reference telling me about their success. So, if you've graduated, and want to share your story with current students (you know, to give them hope that there's life after university), drop me a line!

(To keep your identity private, I just give initials here.)

- L.B. was accepted into MSc SLP program
- S.H. got accepted into graduate school
- J.A. is in graduate school working on her PhD in pediatrics
- A.B. was accepted into a Master’s program in medical sciences
- A.K. is Assistant Grand Moff at a library in the Edmonton area, and has a cat (I am allergic to cats)
- B.N. is working at Bioware
- C.H. got his Bachelor’s degree in applied arts specializing in animation, and has a unique visually based blog, called SKROWL. In his words: “Skrowl is a sort of combination of scrawl and scroll, with a little stank on it... I pronounce it like owl, prowl... skrowl. I think it has enormous potential as a storytelling tool of all sorts”

Go out into the world and do amazing things!

But in the meantime...

Why aren't you studying?

The 25 Years: The Numbers

This year marks my 25th year of teaching. Over that time, I have taught:
  • 12 different courses (2 were co-taught)
  • about 200 classes
  • over 20,000 students
  • at 3 different institutions
In a typical academic year, I teach seven classes, and about 1,000 students.

I have been fortunate to have been given awards for my teaching, including:
  • Instructor of the month (Faculty of Science)
  • Kathleen W. Klawe Prize for Excellence in Teaching of Large Classes
  • Instructors of Distinction Honour Roll, Faculty of Science
  • Instructor Appreciation award from the Interdepartmental Science Students’ Society
  • Teacher Excellence Award from Delta Chi fraternity
  • Department of Psychology Teaching Award

In addition, based on USRIs, I have been placed on the Department of Psychology Teaching Honour Roll 20 times, and the Honour Roll with Distinction 144 times.

As I reflect on all of these numbers and awards, I wonder what they all mean. Am I bragging about them? (No. Seriously.) Am I a good teacher? Students often give feedback that they enjoyed my course, which is all well and good. But did I teach the material effectively? That is, did I do something to help students learn the material well? And to what do I compare these outcomes--to myself 25 years ago, or to other instructors now? There’s no way to know. So I went to the research literature (you probably saw that coming, eh?).

A study by O’Connor and Cheema (2018) found that when a course was offered several times, grades given by the same instructor increased (from about a B+ to an A-). That sounds good, but this finding can be explained a number of ways. Is it because instructors get better over time, leading to better student performance? No: much research (e.g., Marsh, 2007) shows that teaching effectiveness tends to decline with age and years of experience--unless there is “systematic intervention”. Maybe it’s because students are getting better, year over year? Nope again: no significant effects were found on GPA as a factor of calendar year.

So what is responsible? The authors could not say for sure, but suggested that with increasing experience, the decision-making process “contaminates” evaluations--and seems to contaminate them in the upwards direction.

Well, that sucks.

Of course, I’d like to think that I’m the exception to the rule--that I don’t give higher marks now just because I’m older and have all this experience. I’d like to think that all the time and effort that I’ve put into my courses over the years has not been for nothing. But what can I do? Well, there is that “systematic intervention” business. The research on that indicates that using student evaluations of teaching along with consultation actually improve teaching effectiveness. The consultation is based on the ratings, and is used to target specific areas for development and selected strategies for improvement.

So, at this point in my 25-year-long career, it’s not time to sit back. It’s time once again to roll up my sleeves and dive in to some hard work.

Why aren’t you studying?


References

Marsh, H. W. (2007). Do university teachers become more effective with experience? A multilevel growth model of students’ evaluations of teaching over 13 years. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99, 775-790. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.99.4.775

O’Connor, K., & Cheema, A. (2018). Do evaluations rise with experience? Psychological Science, 29, 779-790. doi:10.1177/0956797617744517

What I Did on my Summer Vacation (2018 Edition)

Instead of trying to come up with a theme for my summer vacation post, this year I went back through my photos and social media posts to try and sum up my summer. Here goes!

PHD Comics: Summer https://t.co/8k2pKGKaTA via @phdcomics

— Karsten Loepelmann (@kloepelm) June 13, 2018

It is so true, summer is a time to try and work uninterrupted (by teaching at least). I was home with my kids a lot of the time, so there still were interruptions. (I swear, those kids want to eat lunch like EVERY DAY.)

Instead of adding material to my courses, I spent my time scrutinizing my lecture notes overall, and my PowerPower slides in particular. I have increased the legibility, readability, and flow of my lectures, in addition to rewriting material for clarity and understanding. I have converted all physical media to digital files in anticipation of changes to the classroom computers by IST. That also meant spenting several hours with IST staff trying to fix problems, both old and new, with their systems. Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of confidence that everything will be running properly by the time the term starts. (Be prepared for your instructors fumbling and cursing a lot!)

Summer isn't all about work, though. There's time for a family trip. After visiting BC last year, we just stuck to Alberta for a short trip--Aspen Beach, Calgary, and Drumheller. After skipping the Calgary Zoo for a few years, we had to go back to see the pandas. My youngest daughter was so excited...and then so disappointed. The pandas just slept. The most action-packed moment was when one of them scratched its ear. Wow. To make up for the disappointment, we bought her an ice cream cone. Then a fly landed in it and everything went to hell. Yeah, good times.

Don't see how they can do kung fu.

The Royal Tyrrell Museum is always worth a visit.

Hoodoo? I dunno.

Who wants to see pictures of Aspen Beach when I could

show you the delicious cannoli at Sweet Capone's in Lacombe?

Ugh, I thought the smoke was bad last year.  The BC forest fires brought clouds of smoke again this summer, especially in August. When it's an otherwise nice summer day with wretched air quality, at least I don't feel bad about being at my computer and working all day.

#nofilter, we swear. It's that smokey today here in #yeg. With all this smoke, the air quality index is "very high" at 9. For more on our EAS live weather cameras, check the link in our bio #yegsmoke #uofa #weathercamera #panaromaview pic.twitter.com/Nbq7MKFI6q

— UofA EAS Department (@UofA_EAS) August 15, 2018

While my wife wasn't looking, I slipped a jalapeño plant in among her annuals when she was buying bedding plants this spring. (Ain't I a stinker?) I didn't have great hopes, but it exceeded all expectations, growing about a dozen peppers. I think I'll pickle them.

Right at the end of August, the Department of Psychology held its annual Welcome Celebration. It's to welcome new graduate students, post-docs, and faculty members, and celebrate our accomplishments over the past year. Although I claim to go just for the food, it's really to hear the speeches. And lookit the nifty two TUTAs (Tolman Undergraduate Teaching Awards) I got!

Now, it's back to school for everyone. This year is just a bit more specialer, though. It's my 25th year of teaching. To those of you who have been taking my classes for 25 years--er, isn't it time to graduate already?

Back to school. pic.twitter.com/wQzYV2b0vh

— You Had One Job (@_youhadonejob1) September 3, 2018

Why aren't you studying?

The Reading List (Spring, 2018)

This time, the readings I'm recommending all tie into my recently concluded PSYCO 258: Cognitive Psychology course. It's remarkable that there are so many really good popular books about psychology--if you're into that kind of thing. And if you're following my blog, well, either you're a stalker or you're into that kind of thing...

	Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Waitaminnit--I recommended this book before, didn't I? Yup, in my post The Reading Week Reading List (Fall, 2015). But it's so good, I'm recommending it again. The title refers to the unconscious (fast) and deliberate, conscious (slow) modes of cognition. It also gives the first-person backstory to Prospect Theory, which is a unique thing. This theory was the start of behavioural economics, an approach that continues to shake up the fields of economics and psychology. Kahneman neatly summarizes his work with Amos Tversky, and also his more recent research into subjective life satisfaction. This is not a stuffy, boring read; it applies to everyone.
	The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds by Michael Lewis You may know Lewis as the author of Moneyball. Here he presents a double-biography of Danny Kahneman and his longtime collaborator, Amos Tversky. Lewis tells a great story, providing important context to the lives of his subjects, which really helps give you a sense of who they really are: the constant self-doubt of Kahneman, and Tversky's devastating intelligence. Beyond the biographies, Lewis also follows the chronology of Prospect Theory, doing a great job of explaining it scientific publication to scientific publication. The final line is classic: "Then the phone rang."
	Misbehaving: The Story Of Behavioral Economics by Richard H. Thaler This third book on behavioural economics is by far the most technical. You may not enjoy this book if you're put off by terms like "diminishing marginal utility," "bounded rationality," and "economics." Thaler, a recent Nobel prize winner, recounts his relationship with Kahneman & Tversky, as well as his contributions to behavioural economics. There are quite a few graphs, and it can be hard to follow if you have no background in economics. Recommended for only the most hardcore fans of behavioural economics, or econ majors. Psychology majors should just skip to the section on nudge theory.
	Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool Every wonder how an expert got so good at what they do? An athlete, dancer, musician, or chess player? They make it seem so easy--like they were born to do it. But what really underlies their amazing abilities is something Ericsson calls deliberate practice. Along the way, he also debunks misconceptions about the "10,000 hour rule" and the "10-year rule" Sorry, but it takes more than just time to get really, really good at something. Ericsson gives evidence-based advice on how to turn yourself into an expert at just about anything. (Even, say, psychology.)
	Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth Duckworth's research has shown that grit--a personality trait for persevering on a task--is a more important contributor to grades than IQ. However, the concept of grit is controversial. Some argue that it may be no different from some other personality traits. Also, you may have "grit" for, say, playing tennis, but not for studying. Shouldn't it apply to everything you do equally instead of being situation-specific? In Peak, Ericsson criticizes the concept for being circular: if you don't stick to a task because you don't have grit, which is why you don't stick to the task. However, reading this book seems to have increased my motivation for persisting on tasks; your mileage may vary.

Why aren't you studying?

The Reading List (Winter, 2018)

It'll soon be time for another Reading Wee--wha? It's over already? Well, it sure didn't last long. (I swear, a week isn't as long as it used to be.) I did actually spend some time reading--mostly papers on neuromagic, but even more time frantically writing my lecture on neuromagic. (It's for PSYCO 403: Advanced Perception, if you're interested).

Anyway, I've got a backlog of books I've read going back to, er, 2016. (I swear, a year isn't as long as it used to be.) I posted some of my favourite recent graphic novels last time; this time it's some random nonfiction.

	Head in the Cloud: Why Knowing Things Still Matters When Facts Are So Easy to Look Up by William Poundstone Why do you need to know anything anymore? In a world with Google, what is knowledge worth? William Poundstone argues that it may be worth more than you think. This book, based on original survey research, catalogs the many things that people don’t know. It’s shocking. Would you be able to identify Johann Sebastian Bach in a photo? Do you know the sun is a star? Did you know research shows that people with more general knowledge (e.g., trivia) have higher incomes and are happier (Admittedly, it is just a correlation.) When you phone battery dies, you might start to realize just how little you actually know...
	Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating by Charles Spence Spence won the Ig Nobel Prize for his study, in which he amplified the sound of a person eating a Pringles potato chip to make it seem fresher and crunchier. Yes, seriously. This book describes how our experience of food is affected by taste, smell, sight, sound, and touch, as well as the atmosphere, the people you are eating with, and more. Some of the most fun parts are his accounts of the often bizarre world of high-end restaurants. Imagine eating in the dark, or with your hands. How about eating food off a tablet computer? Or being spritzed in the face with scent as you eat? Loads of great perceptual psychology for anyone who eats food. I’m recommending this book to students of my PSYCO 403: Advanced Perception course.
	Touch: The Science of the Hand, Heart, and Mind by David J. Linden My area of training as a graduate student was perception and psychophysics, specifically how the skin processes information, so this book grabbed my attention right away. Be aware that an understanding of our sense of touch is going to require some biology. Terms like HPA axis, stratum corneum, dorsal root ganglia, ventroposterolateral nucleus, and TRPM8 receptor get thrown around a lot--maybe a bit too much for a popular book. If you can get past that, there are some interesting discussions of “hot” and “cool” taste sensations, the nature of itching, touch illusions, and the social nature of touch (yes, that includes sexual touching). I’d recommend taking PSYCO 367: Perception before reading this book.
	See What I’m Saying: The Extraordinary Powers of our Five Senses by Lawrence D. Rosenblum Yup, another book about perception! (Remember: I’m a perception geek.) Rosenblum’s thesis is that we don’t give our senses enough credit; we focus more on the limitations of our senses. But there are more to our senses than most people realize. This book is not a catalog of our senses; rather, it delves into particular phenomena that highlight extraordinary abilities--some of which are displayed by only a small number of people. Many of these cases will be familiar to students of psychology: the blind man who rides a bike using “sonar,” how molecules in human sweat may synchronize women’s menstrual cycles, and the curious phenomenon of synesthesia. Another recommendation for students of perception.
	Selp-helf by Miranda Sings Why did I read this book again? She was funny or something? If you really love Miranda Sings, you’ll--well, you’ll probably tolerate this book. Just like the real Miranda, it’s best in small doses. Like, really small doses. In fact, you’re better off watching Miranda on Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (season 5, episode 4, available on Netflix). That episode made me laugh out loud. Hey, not all these books are winners. Wait--this book was on the New York Times bestseller list? I just can’t anymore...

Why aren't you studying?

The Awards: 18

I am honoured to have achieved the Department of Psychology’s Honour Roll with Distinction for my Spring, 2017 PSYCO 367: Perception class. Wait, what? Spring? That course ended 8 months ago! Did I just forget to post this? Am I too humble to post about winning an award? Nope and nope. The admin person who crunches the numbers for these department awards left and didn’t get around to this. And the new person had no idea there were awards or anything. It almost makes it seem like these awards are not that important. Well, it’s not like there’s a cash prize or anything. (But after I win one, I do take my family out to dinner.)

Warning! I may be a sarcastic jerk in making my snide little remarks. Comedy! If you are easily offended by overeducated, middle-aged white male privilege, turn back now. But if that’s your thing, read on!

The instructor made the information easy to learn and if students had any questions he was very good at explaining concepts in a different way. In a spring course, where some students are taking another course and/or working at the same time, it is difficult to keep up with the textbook readings and the lecture. It might be better to have lecture material cover 75% of exams and the textbook cover 25% rather than the 50/50 split. I'm not sure why so many students say this course is so hard, maybe it was the instructor that made this course better! I found the material to be fairly consistent with any other 300 level psych course. I really liked how the instructor had examples of illusions and concepts covered in class, and that he posted those and extra helpful material on his website. He was very organized!

(Thank you for the kind words and taking the time to write so much. There’s a lot of important information in the textbook, and you’re paying a lot for it. That’s why I make it worth a substantial amount on the exams.)

The final is too close to the last date of lecture. Not enough time to be fully 100% confident going into the final.

(I know--it really sucks to have the final the day after the last day of classes. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do about that. You should give your feedback to the Office of the Registrar - Exams and Timetabling.)

Course was very fast-paced. Maybe less topics would be better

(It’s because Spring courses are packed into 6 weeks. I do not want to compromise the nature of content of the course, because it’s supposed to be the same as Fall/Winter courses. At least it wasn’t a 3-week course.)

Good course with a very interesting topic. It would however be nice if there were some assignments associated with the course. I do not tend to perform well on exams in general, and prefer classes where assignments are a part of the final grade

(Here’s where I have compromised the course. When I taught it in Fall/Winter, I had 10 “lab” assignments that students did. They were done on computer outside of class time. They were pretty highly regarded, fun, and helped students to understand concepts. But running these in a 6-week course is a nightmare, so I’ve had to cut them out.)

I really appreciate that the instructor presented some different material in the lecture than was in the text. Too many professors simply teach from the textbook, but the additional material in lecture helped to clarify concepts and made it more interesting. I also appreciated how animated the instructor was. This makes it so much more fun to be in class.

Dr. Loepelmann is a fantastic professor. I love his enthusiasm and humor, and I hope he continues to teach for many years

(Thanks!)

The iClicker questions were very useful in knowing what was to be expected on exams.

(Thank you for noticing that. I get a lot of complaints about there not being “sample exams,” but the clicker questions are basically that.)

Course was great. University making students pay for textbook they can't afford to pass the course is "a dick move." Still really good instructor

(It’s not the University, it’s me. I’m the one who makes the decision to have a textbook in a course. I’m sorry if you think I’m being a dick about that. I believe that the textbook covers a lot of important material that is essential to an understanding of perception. There’s no way I could cover that much material in lectures. I choose the same textbook being used in Fall/Winter terms, so there should be lots of used copies available. And I do make sure that there are copies of the textbook on reserve in the library--you can check those out for 2 hours at a time if you are unable to afford the (admittedly expensive) textbook.)

Hmm, all done and barely any sarcasm. Maybe next time!

Why aren’t you studying?

The Lecture Notes & Copyright

If you look at the bottom of each page of my lecture notes, you'll see a copyright notice, and a link to a more elaborate copyright agreement. Essentially, if you use my lecture notes, you are agreeing to certain conditions. One of those conditions is that you do not post my lecture notes online anywhere. The notes are not your property to do with whatever you wish. You are definitely not permitted to post them to an online notes-sharing website in order to earn credits or money. If you do so, you are in violation not only of copyright law, but also the Code of Student Behaviour. Whoa, that's pretty harsh, right?


Why am I being so sticky about this? Here's what happened a couple of weeks ago. I got an email from a student who had a question about something in the lectures they didn't understand. But the question they were asking was weird. They were asking about lecture material that was not in my lectures. At least, not any more. I thought for sure I had taken this particularly confusing section out, years ago. I double-checked, and confirmed that it was indeed gone. So I asked the student where they got my lecture notes from. Oh, an online lecture note sharing site, they said.

Argh.

This unfortunate student had stumbled upon long-outdated notes posted without permission by a student in my class a few years ago. The student had missed a few days of class and instead of asking another student in that class (or me) for notes on what they had missed, they just Googled it instead.

This is why I copyright my lecture notes.

I don't want anyone coming across old, outdated notes posted on some random website. Yes, they may be filled in with all the blanks you missed when you were unable to come to class. But you could potentially be doing yourself a disservice--learning material that you don't have to, or even misunderstanding something important.

Yes, I do want students to take responsibility for themselves. If you miss a class, my policy is to get you to ask another student in the class for the notes. Why? Lots of reasons. You will get to know someone else. Many students complain that even though the university is filled with people, they feel alone--because they are not forming new relationships. There are loads of smart, like-minded people all around you. It wouldn't hurt to get to know someone new. You could, say, share lecture notes if one of you is sick. Smart students will make additional annotations to my lecture notes--not just filling in the words. These students tend to do better on exams. Although I can give you the blanks if you miss a class, that's all I can give you. It would be better to get annotated notes from a fellow student.

Even worse than posting lecture notes, I have found students posting their old assignments and papers online. This is a dumb thing to do. Not only can I download these papers too, I have electronic records of all assignments, going back more than 10 years. If a current student is dumb enough to submit your old assignment, it's a trivial matter to bust both of you for plagiarism. Yes, both of you. See, it's against the Code of Student Behaviour to provide material to another student. How would you like the University contacting you after you've graduated, telling you that your degree is being revoked? Yes, it's that serious.

So I've had to spend hours over the past couple of weeks writing takedown letters to multiple online note-sharing websites, which is a major drag. I'd rather be doing almost anything else.

If you feel my policies are too restrictive (and your social anxiety prevents you from talking to strangers), I've come up with a compromise. I am willing to set up a note-sharing forum on eClass. You can ask for notes or share your notes. I don't have a problem with this because it's under my control. If there are errors in the notes people post, I can fix that. I don't have control over websites that profit from my hard work--and, yes, it's hard work. I spend hundreds of hours developing my lecture notes. In many ways, my notes are the sum total of my work as an instructor.

Please don't give them away.

Why aren't you studying?

The Red Pens

Happy marking season! It’s so festive these days, what with all the red ink splashed everywhere. No? Well, it is for me: term papers and exams mean red ink. But is there a problem with using the colour red for marking? Let’s go to the evidence (what there is, anyway).

Using a red pen seems to make people pick out more writing errors, and cause them to grade more harshly resulting in lower scores, compared with using a blue pen (Rutchick, Slepian, & Ferris, 2008).

Another study found that corrections in red ink are interpreted by students as being harsher than those made in “aqua” (what, water?), because red is an emotive (“arousing or able to arouse intense feeling”) colour (Dukes & Albenesi, 2013). The corrections are also more likely to be interpreted by students as “shouting,” which leads to emotional loading and anxiety, and a potential rejection of the feedback on the paper.

Even before this evidence appeared, there have been suggestions that teaching mark using purple or pink pens. (That’s the ink colour, not the colour of the barrel. No research on that yet.)

I remember getting term papers back, and seeing the red ink. It didn’t make me feel good. If I had known that there was a typo or a lapse in logic, I would have corrected it before handing it in. See the red made me want to be a better writer. I was getting valuable feedback from professors, and I would be dumb not to learn from it. I can still remember some of the corrections, advice, and feedback I received decades later. Did it hurt my feelings? Sure. Did I let it stop me from improving? No way.

So I use red ink. Yes, it can trigger emotions. But maybe it’s supposed to. In (literal and figurative) contrast with blue (or even black) marks on the paper, red draws your attention. It says, “Hey, this is important.” Maybe it elicits an emotional reaction; maybe it acts as punishment (in the operant conditioning sense of the word). If I have emptied a red pen marking your term paper, it clearly needs improvement. Learn from all the scribbles I make on your paper. I’ve spent time reading, thinking about, and analyzing your writing. It’s customized, one-to-one communication, and it’s what you’re paying for when you take a course. I wouldn’t spend all the time I do if I didn’t think it would help.

I’ve used a lot of red pens over the years. Here are some I’ve tried recently.

Staples 1.0
It’s a pen. A red pen. Nothing special. But they’re cheap: You can get 864 of them for $252.69 at Staples.

Zebra Sarasa 0.7
This used to be my go-to pen, but even with gel ink the 0.7 mm tip is a bit too sharp. Often dies with ink left in it. (And what’s with the name? Is it made from zebra blood?)

BIC Velocity Gel 0.7
The name grabbed me right away: I need a fast pen. But it has a too-sharp tip, and also dies with ink left. Grr!

PaperMate Profile 1.4B
Now we’re talking. A nice big fat 1.4 mm ballpoint gel ink pen. It’s smooth and doesn’t require a lot of pressure to write with, which helps prevent tendonitis. Makes an inconsistent line though, so I only use it to mark exams.

PaperMate InkJoy 300RT 1.0M
My former favourite pen, the InkJoy series features amazingly quick-drying ink. Super smooth and fast, it’s what I (used to) use to mark term papers.

It looks like I'm not the only one who thinks a bit too much about pens. The Wirecutter is even more keen than I am. Their "best pen" is now my new favourite! The new winner:

Uni-ball Jetstream RT
This pen has all of the upsides of my former favourite--but also does away with the main downside. The ink doesn't constantly clump up, requiring me to wipe off the tip every couple of minutes. Yay! It's hard to find this in stores (especially red ink) but it's available online. There are two tip sizes. I went with the 0.7 mm which is a bit fine for marking papers, so I'll get the 1.0 mm when my current supply runs out.

So, how do you feel about pens?

Why aren’t you studying?

References
Rutchick, A. M., Slepian, M. L., & Ferris, B. D. (2008). The pen is mightier than the word: Object priming of evaluative standards. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 704-708. doi: 10.1002/ejsp.753

Dukes, R., & Albanesi, H. (2012). Seeing red: Quality of an essay, color of the grading pen and student reactions to the grading process. Social Science Journal, 50, 96-100. doi:10.1016/j.soscij.2012.07.005

Edit: Updated 2/3/2023--I have a new favourite!

The Comic Reading List (Fall, 2017)

What to do during Reading Week, but read. (OK, get a bunch of work done, too. But everyone needs a break.) Every so often, I like to share my reading list. It's been a while since my last one. Not only has it been a while, but I noticed that I haven't included any comics on the lists. I'm not a snob who looks down on comics; I love comics. And not just in the I-love-the-comics-that-I-read-as-a-kid way, but in the I-still-love-reading-comics way. I just forget to include them in my reading lists. Since I profess to being a geek, here's the evidence--some of my favourite comics from recent years.

	I have to start with Saga. I can't bear the time between individual issues, so I wait to get the trade paperbacks (oh, fine: "graphic novels") every six months. It's the story of a couple from two warring worlds (the science-based planet Landfall and its only moon, the magic-infused Wreath), written by Brian K. Vaughan. It's moving, and thrilling, and heartbreaking. The art, by Calgary's Fiona Staples, is amazing: she can make you empathize with anthropomorphic meerkats. Or aristocratic humanoids with TVs for heads. Yes, it is deliciously weird and different. And good: It's won a dozen Eisner awards, and will win many more.
	Matt Fraction (writer) and David Aja's (artist) widely acclaimed run on Hawkeye ended a couple of years ago, but I still come back to it. Yes, it's that Hawkeye from the Avengers (and also another Hawkeye from another Avengers). But if you think it's just some dumb, loud punch-up comic book, you are oh-so-wrong. It's a smart superhero book. Care for a wordless story about a dog who loves pizza? Yes, please. It defies expectation in every issue. Aja's spare lines meld perfectly with Fraction's show-don't-tell scripts. It won five Eisners, but deserved more. Be warned: you will have to read and re-read these stories, or you will miss much of the nuance.
	If you've seen the movie, you might be interested in the original manga of The Ghost in the Shell. I recommend the deluxe edition, which is read right-to-left as it was originally published. It will bend your mind, but only just a little bit. And author Shirow Masamune's behind-the-scenes notes are totally worth it. Yes, it's (mostly) in English. Influenced by (and influencing) cyberpunk, this work has had an effect on movies (notably The Matrix, Avatar, and Ex Machina), and video games (Deus Ex, among many others). It was ahead of its time in the late 1980s, and--amazingly--much of it still is.
	I'm way, way too young to have seen the original run of Batman in the 1960s, but I caught reruns after school. A goofy, silly Batman is better than no Batman at all. Right? Jeff Parker and Jonathan Case perfectly capture the zany and ridiculous aspects of the smash hit TV show--right down to Cesar Romero's Joker wearing makeup over his mustache. A grim, brooding Dark Knight this ain't. Anyway, nostalgia! Highlights include crossovers with The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Green Hornet, and even the 1970s Wonder Woman. (My favourite? When they encountered the Legion of Super-Heroes. Woot!)

Why aren't you studying?

What I Did on my Summer Vacation (2017 Edition)

Every year when I write these summer vacation posts, I try to come up with a theme. Last year was easy; I even had two themes. It’s usually a struggle, though. Part of it is that my summers are pretty routine. I teach a Spring term course. Then I spend the summer working on my courses and take a few vacation days with my family. Am I getting boring and predictable? Probably. Anyway, on to my summer vacation!

After teaching PSYCO 367: Perception in Spring term (which was a lot of fun, as I hadn’t taught it in two years), we planned a moderately sized vacation this year: Penticton, BC. Not a huge, elaborate thing (just eight days) but nonetheless a big trip for us, with two kids. Penticton is over 1,000 km away. Our neighbours own a condo in Penticton and go every year; they drive there in one day. Yikes. Knowing my family, that would be a recipe for disaster. Instead, we took a much more leisurely approach, stopping overnight in Banff, Vernon, and Kelowna.

Did you know that, in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, you could get a Parks Canada pass for free? That’s what we did--along with several million other people, apparently. I’ve never seen it so busy in Banff. Traffic was very heavy on all the highways through Banff National Park. Naturally, we had to go through six construction zones. Yes, there are only two seasons in Canada: winter and construction.

Stopping in Vernon was a good idea, because we had time to visit the Planet Bee Honey Farm. It’s worth a stop. If you’re a science nerd (we all are), pay a bit extra for the PowerPoint presentation (squee!) about bees. Informative! Plus, you get some free honey. Not only do they sell dozens of kinds of honey in the gift shop, they also make their own mead (honey wine) and give out free samples. Don’t mind if I do! (We bought two bottles.)

Now for an interlude. When we started out on our trip, I had no idea that it would end up being the worst trip I’ve ever taken. A few days before we were due to leave, I started feeling…not so good. Not wanting this illness to affect our long-awaited vacation, I went to see my doctor. He prescribed me a round of (very) strong antibiotics, and warned me that I would experience “some stomach upset.” Well, that was right on the money. Initially, I had no problems, giving me the impression that I have superhuman powers to deal with strong medicines. However, over time my stomach felt worse and worse. Five days into our vacation, I could only tolerate one tiny meal per day, and couldn’t be away from a bathroom for more than an hour or so. (I have to point out that through all of this, my original illness did not improve. At all. It took another round of antibiotics after coming home to finally fix that situation. Thankfully, this antibiotic did not upset my stomach at all. What was my original ailment? I’m not going to tell you. I hardly know you. Maybe after we’ve gone on a few more dates. Suffice it to say, it had something to do with not being able to sit without a great deal of pain. And this started right before the longest car trip I’ve made in over 20 years.) But hey, I didn’t want to disappoint my family, so what to do but grit my teeth and man up.

In Kelowna, we met up with my wife’s old friend/colleague, and visited one of the area’s many (many!) wineries: CedarCreek Estate Winery. We got a (brief) tour of the vineyard and aging barrels--cut short because of the all the loud, dusty onsite construction. We were in the warehouse for literally seconds. Included in the tour at the end is, of course, a wine tasting. My wife sure enjoyed it--she got to drink my samples, as all I could tolerate was the same sparkling apple juice that my kids got (in fancy wine glasses, though; they felt really fancy!). Sigh.

Sadly, Lake Okanagan experienced flooding earlier this year, which was evident in the erosion of the beach at Okanagan Lake Beach in Penticton. (There were sandbags still scattered around many lakefront properties.) And, as you know, this year has been the worst ever for wildfires in BC. The smoke was thick almost every day, and got worse the farther south we traveled. Check out our lovely (?) day at Skaha Lake Beach: the picture looks like it was taken at sundown, but that was the middle of the afternoon. You could hardly see across the lake to the mountains on the other side. At times, the smoke was choking; my heart goes out to all those people affected by the wildfires this year.

My wife had fond memories of going to the beach in Penticton as a kid, but between the erosion and the smoke, it was a big letdown. At least we could still go cherry picking, as she had also done with her family. Why pick cherries yourself? It’s cheaper, my wife explained, and they taste better. The price at the U-pick in Penticton: $2.99. The price for Okanagan cherries at Walmart after we returned home to Edmonton: $1.97. Sigh. Did I mention that, the day after we returned home, the winds blew BC smoke into Edmonton? Yeah, that happened.

I’ve spent a lot of time describing one brief trip (Worst. Trip. Ever.), and still haven’t come up with a theme for this post. Was there one thread that ran through my whole summer? Come to think of it, there was. All summer, I waited in eager anticipation for Sunday night, when a new episode of Twin Peaks: The Return would air. I don’t watch much TV, but this was a show I couldn’t miss. Back in the day, I was a huge fan of the original Twin Peaks. (How huge? I joined the official fan club, and rewatched seasons 1 and 2 with friends complete with coffee and cherry pie). I watched The Return as suggested by co-creator and director David Lynch: in the dark, with headphones. Then I’d spend the rest of the week listening to hours of podcasts that would recap, theorize, and try to explain what happened--and I’d wait impatiently for Sunday.

Now the show’s over, and summer is over, too--and I’ve got mixed emotions about both. I won’t give out any spoilers, but I will strongly recommend Twin Peaks: The Return; it’s a rare piece of entertainment that can also be considered art. It made me feel all of the feels: happy, angry, sad, disgusted, surprised, and frightened. I guess summer did, too.

Why aren’t you studying?