2.3 Instructor

Gabriel

34-year-old Professor in Biochemistry at Harvard from Newton, Massachusetts

“I must solve these blindspots.”

Gabriel is a professor in Biochemistry at Harvard living in Newton. He has been advised by the Director of Research to consider active learning for his lectures, and he has decided to test the Courselets platform once a week with his students.

## Pains

• There are blindspots in his current way of teaching which leads to a lack of conceptual understanding among his students.
• Gabriel is always running out of time in the classroom. When he adds interactive elements in class, it’s difficult to pause and resume an exercise in the next session.

## Goals

• Improve the quality of his lectures by ensuring that students gain a better conceptual understanding, and that they are able to apply these concepts to real- world problems.
• Save time by utilizing existing tools and proven methodologies.

## Notes

• Depending on his experience and current syllabus, Gabriel may be reluctant to change. Junior faculty, on the other hand, are likely more open to introduce new tools in their teaching.
• It is unlikely that Gabriel will flip a course entirely to active learning. It is more likely that he will introduce a courselet or two each week initially.
• Gabriel needs be convinced of the benefits of using Courselets, and concept inventory data could do the trick. The fear of falling behind other universities is a good motivator.
• Gabriel may be new to the concept of active learning, and a handbook or interactive tutorial would be helpful.

The prestige and funding from a potential grant for incorporating active learning motivates Gabriel. Funding is a catnip that can clear his calendar and make time for active learning.

• Gabriel would prefer to work in a group with other instructors initially.
• Gabriel prefers tools with LTI interoperability.

## Must

• Realize the benefits of Courselets.
• Fit into his usual workflow and work well with other platforms.

## Must Not

Require a lot of extra work to implement Courselets in class.

## Context & Usage

Multiple 1-2 hour sessions in class every week.

## Tech Profile

Gabriel uses Harvard's LTI platform on a daily basis. He’s active on various social networks, and he checks his email on his smartphone multiple times each day.