Learning Environment & Situational Factors to Consider

 

1.  Specific Context of the Teaching/Learning Situation

How many students are in the class?  Is the course primary, secondary, undergraduate, or graduate level?  How long and frequent are the class meetings?  How will the course be delivered: live, online, blended, flipped or in a classroom or lab?  What physical elements of the learning environment will affect the class? What technology, networking and access issues will affect the class?

• 15-20 first time online college students will be part of the initial pilot course.

• The pilot will be in person and eventually grow to include online session.

• Students will need a computer or laptop with Internet access.

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2.  General Context of the Learning Situation

What learning expectations are placed on this course or curriculum by: the school, district, university, college and/or department?  the profession?  society? 

The expectations are for students to understand how to use Canvas for their online courses.

 

3.  Nature of the Subject

Is this subject primarily theoretical, practical, or a combination?  Is the subject primarily convergent or divergent?  Are there important changes or controversies occurring within the field?

     Practical / divergent /

 

4.  Characteristics of the Learners

What is the life situation of the learners (e.g., socio-economic, cultural, personal, family, professional goals)?  What prior knowledge, experiences, and initial feelings do students usually have about this subject?  What are their learning goals and expectations?

Del Mar College is a community institution with an open enrollment. Students come from a variety of backgrounds and socio-economic levels. The area is a blue-collar community and it’s common for students to be the first to attend college in their family. Many students are adult learners and are attending DMC for job advancement or acquire new skills or learn a trade. The goal is for the student to feel comfortable using Canvas and prepared for online courses

 

5.  Characteristics of the Teacher

What beliefs and values does the teacher have about teaching and learning?  What is his/her attitude toward:  the subject? students? What level of knowledge or familiarity does s/he have with this subject?  What are his/her strengths in teaching? 

The teacher believes that all students need a chance to understand how Canvas works before starting their online journey. The teachers understands the need to be able to navigate and feel comfortable finding your way around an online platform. A strength would be patience and open minded toward the students.

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Questions for Formulating Significant Learning Goals

 

"A year (or more) after this course is over, I want and hope that students will feel confident utilizing Canvas.”

 

My Big Harry Audacious Goal (BHAG) for the course is to pilot a "Getting to Know Canvas" course that develops foundational digital literacy in first-time online learners through hands-on practice with dashboard navigation, assignment workflows, and communication tools.

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Foundational Knowledge

• a). What key information (e.g., facts, terms, formulae, concepts, principles, relationships, etc.) is/are important for students to understand and remember in the future?

I want students to understand that we are always learning, growing, and adapting. Learning is a continuous journey of growth and adaptation. As students, recognizing and utilizing available resources is essential for success. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness—it's a vital part of developing as a learner and demonstrates academic maturity.

• b). What key ideas (or perspectives) are important for students to understand in this course?

This course creates lasting change by moving beyond mere platform training to develop learners who are confident, resourceful, and adaptive in digital learning environments—skills that transfer to all future online courses.

 

Application Goals

• What kinds of thinking are important for students to learn?

• Critical thinking, in which students analyze and evaluate

Critical thinking helps students become discerning learners who can evaluate information quality, identify bias, construct logical arguments, and make evidence-based conclusions. In our information-rich world, students need these skills to navigate everything from research papers to social media content.

 

• Creative thinking, in which students imagine and create

Creative thinking enables students to approach problems from multiple angles, generate innovative solutions, and think outside conventional frameworks. This skill is increasingly valuable as many future jobs will require adaptability and original thinking that can't be automated.

 

• Practical thinking, in which students solve problems and make decisions

Practical thinking bridges the gap between theory and application, teaching students to implement knowledge in real-world contexts, solve concrete problems, and make effective decisions under constraints. This is crucial for translating academic learning into professional competence.

 

• What important skills do students need to gain?

Students will need to gain the following skills: communication and collaboration, time management, and self-advocacy.  

 

• Do students need to learn how to manage complex projects?

Students absolutely need to develop complex project management abilities. Modern academic and professional work rarely involves isolated tasks - instead, students encounter multi-faceted projects requiring planning, resource allocation, timeline management, collaboration, and iterative problem-solving. These skills help students handle research projects, group assignments, internships, and eventually workplace responsibilities.

 

Integration Goals

• What connections (similarities and interactions) should students recognize and make…:

• Among ideas within this course?

Connections Among Ideas Within This Course: Canvas supports this through discussion boards where students can link concepts from different modules, assignment submission areas where they reference previous work, and module organization that allows instructors to show relationships between topics. Students should recognize patterns, recurring themes, and how foundational concepts build toward more complex understanding. Canvas's annotation tools and collaborative documents help students visually map these internal connections.

• Among the information, ideas, and perspectives in this course and those in other courses or areas?

Canvas enables this through portfolio features where students can showcase work from multiple courses, group discussions that span different subjects, and assignment designs that encourage interdisciplinary thinking. Students should identify how research methods from one course apply to another, how historical context enriches literature analysis, or how mathematical concepts appear in science labs. Canvas's ability to organize content across multiple course shells helps students see these broader academic relationships.

• Among material in this course and the students' own personal, social, and/or work life?

Students should connect theoretical knowledge to workplace scenarios, personal experiences, current events, and community issues. Canvas's mobile accessibility means students can capture and share these connections as they happen in their daily lives.

 

Human Dimensions Goals

• What could or should students learn about themselves?

Students should develop deep self-awareness across multiple dimensions. They need to understand their learning preferences - whether they process information better through visual, auditory, or kinesthetic methods, and how they can adapt their study strategies accordingly. Equally important is recognizing their emotional patterns, stress responses, and motivation triggers so they can manage academic pressure effectively.

 

• What could or should students learn about understanding others and/or interacting with them?

Students should discover their strengths, weaknesses, and natural talents while learning to articulate their values and long-term goals. This includes understanding their communication style, decision-making processes, and how they respond to feedback or criticism. Through Canvas activities like reflective journals, self-assessments, and peer feedback, students can track their growth over time and identify areas for improvement.

Students should learn to recognize and appreciate different perspectives, communication styles, and cultural backgrounds. This includes developing empathy - the ability to understand others' viewpoints even when they disagree. Through Canvas discussion boards and group projects, students can practice active listening, constructive feedback, and collaborative problem-solving.

 

Caring Goals

• What changes/values do you hope students will adopt?  
  Feelings?

Students should develop intellectual curiosity and confidence in their ability to tackle complex problems. They should cultivate resilience when facing academic challenges, moving from fear of failure to viewing mistakes as learning opportunities.

           

            Interests?

Students should expand their intellectual horizons beyond immediate career goals, developing genuine fascination with how knowledge connects across disciplines. They should become interested in diverse perspectives and enjoy engaging with ideas that challenge their assumptions.

 

         Values?

Students should embrace intellectual honesty, evidence-based reasoning, and ethical responsibility in their academic work. They should value collaboration over competition, understanding that shared knowledge benefits everyone. Respect for diverse viewpoints, commitment to continuous improvement, and appreciation for the learning process itself should become core values.

 

"Learning-How-to-Learn" Goals

• What would you like for students to learn about:

• how to be good students in a course like this?

Students should learn to actively participate rather than passively consume content. This means coming to class prepared, asking thoughtful questions, and engaging meaningfully in discussions.

 

• how to learn about this particular subject?

They should learn to read critically within their discipline, recognizing how experts in the field construct arguments and evaluate evidence. Understanding the historical development of key concepts and current debates helps students situate new learning within broader contexts. They should also learn to connect theoretical knowledge with practical applications specific to their subject area.

 

• how to become a self-directed learner of this subject, i.e., having a learning agenda of what they need/want to learn, and a plan for learning it?

Students should develop the ability to assess their own knowledge gaps and create learning plans to address them. This includes setting specific, measurable learning goals and identifying appropriate resources and strategies. They should learn to monitor their own progress, adjust their approaches when needed, and seek feedback proactively. Students need skills in finding reliable sources, evaluating information quality, and staying current with developments in their field. Most importantly, they should develop intrinsic motivation for learning that extends beyond grades or external requirements, creating personal learning agendas that align with their interests and career goals.