Community Google Slides

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Reasoning for implementation: 

I wanted to emphasize and promote the feeling of a community for my PSY 452: Trauma class. Community is essential for this course, which in itself can be very challenging to experience since topics range from learning about child abuse to PTSD in the context of understanding trauma. To help students connect with each other, I modified an in-person small group activity: discuss your favorite song, to include an online community component: share it on a group google slide (Figure 1). This activity was meant to give each student a space to share something personal, allowing them to feel vulnerable around others - as one would feel in a clinical setting. Expanding the activity beyond their immediate groups, connected them to others in the class they may not have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. After the activity, the instructor and I asked for student feedback in their daily reflections. 

 

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Figure 1. Example slide of Group 7, names omitted. 

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Implementation: 

I was able to travel between breakout groups, and it seemed that the addition of group google slides worked 2 fold. First, it ensured that each student had a turn to speak since each of them had to contribute to the slide, and second it gave us a record for the rest of the class to reference when we all returned to the main meeting - building a larger community. We gave the students instructions that they could share as little or as much on the reasoning for their song - this way no student felt obligated to share more about themselves than they were willing to - but we saw that majority of the class chose to share more than just a song title. This enthusiasm was also supported by their positive reflections, with feedback that spoke of shared interests and deeper understanding of the purpose of the activity (Figure 2). 

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 Figure 2. Reflection on the exercise from one student, name omitted. 

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Reflections: 

I enjoyed this modification, because it did not simply replace the in-person aspect of group work (students still had to be paired in small groups in breakout rooms) but complemented it in a lasting record for our class community. In the future, I would like to convert the google doc into a discussion page, so students can connect with each other offline as well, whether we remain remote or not. Or add to the instructions that students can reference this google doc and comment on each other's posts to get to know each other better.

I would like to start implementing the google doc technique in my TA classes in general, because I see it as an additional useful way for students to take notes and contribute in class. I can also ask questions anonymously, so students do not have to reveal that they posted a specific answer, which may be wrong, but which will allow for a better discussion on their points of confusion.