Assistant Professor Sarah van Ingen Lauer knows about multipliers and exponents and
the exponential power of education. She teaches aspiring math teachers how to teach
math, guiding them along a pivotal journey where they learn how to unravel the mysteries
of numbers and how to spark mathematical curiosity in younger students.
Remarkably, she conducts this education online, a feat that was inconceivable a decade
ago.
"I contemplated this years ago, but I didn’t know how it would be possible to achieve the same quality online as in person," she said. Her math methods class relies heavily on interaction and modeling teaching practices.
Developing an enriching online experience requires more than a simple content transfer,
so her journey began with the USF Innovative Education team. InEd's learning designers
partner with faculty to reimagine the digital classroom, create captivating courses,
and design multimedia elements that elevate learning.
Learning Designer Janine Diaz Cotto emphasized the significance of meticulous planning.
"We analyze the course, the students, and the instructional challenges," said Diaz
Cotto. “This approach identifies desired student outcomes and activities, helping
us outline course flow and elements needed for the online experience.” After establishing
the course flow, Diaz Cotto worked collaboratively with InEd Studios to bring the content
to life. InEd cinemaphotographers and producers craft engaging videos and learning
designers develop interactive presentations and infographics, blending storytelling
expertise with educational insight. The result: an enriching and effective learning
experience.
The team produced a half-dozen videos in USF’s state-of-the-art studio. Van Ingen Lauer used manipulatives such as rods and pattern blocks to model student learning activities. Another showcased her on a lightboard, demonstrating how to simplify complex math when teaching. The content was thoughtfully outlined and filmed from various angles.
“We avoid passive videos where students merely watch,” said Diana Trueman, a producer
from InEd Studios. “Our goal is to create content that breathes life into lessons.”
“Filming it in a way that depicted me drawing mathematical illustrations, adding viewer-friendly
text, and presenting different angles was brilliantly executed,” van Ingen Lauer said.
“It allows future teachers to revisit and refine their techniques, ensuring they learn
how to explain lessons effectively to children.
Van Ingen Lauer appreciated the freedom to design the course in innovative ways, aided by engaging technologies.
She also acknowledged the intellectual challenge of adapting her pedagogical approach
to the asynchronous online environment.
"I kept asking myself, ‘will this be engaging enough? Will students have adequate
support and feedback?’ Collaborating with the learning designers and InEd Studios,
who shared this focus, was empowering."
"It was so liberating to say, ‘I want it to flow this way,’ and Janine would respond,
‘absolutely, it can,’” she recalled. She embraced modern technologies that kept the
program engaging, a far cry from the worldwide emergency online shift in 2019
“It was transformative for me to see what was possible with InEd. Their capabilities
put us on the forefront of online pedagogy,” she said. “We achieved something I don't
think would have been possible 10 years ago.”