Lesson Plan : Reflecting on the Implementation

DESCRIBING THE LESSON

The lesson provided adult learners an introduction to the core commands and benefits of Microsoft Office Web Apps.  Through hands-on activities, the students were able to realize that Microsoft Office Web Apps are simplified versions of Microsoft Office 2010.  The big idea for this lesson was to let students explore how to access, edit, and share Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations from virtually anywhere at anytime.  

A cloud computing technology, SkyDrive, was used in the lesson to incorporate the concepts of online collaboration and file sharing using Office Web Apps.  Cloud computing is one of today’s prominent emerging technology trends but it could be unfamiliar to adult students who are using desktop office applications for productivity.   This technology was chosen because it is time for my students to broaden their knowledge and understanding about MS Office 2010.  It is crucial to keep pace with their evolving learning needs, and to prepare them for the demands of tomorrow’s workplace. 

By the end of the lesson, the students have understood how to manage and store files on the “cloud” and collaborate online with others who may not have Microsoft Office installed in their computers. 

IMPLEMENTING THE LESSON

Instead of incorporating the lesson in the curriculum right away, my goal was to test and evaluate the relevance of the lesson to adult learners.  To achieve the goal, I conducted an instructor-led workshop to pilot test the lesson.  

It was very helpful to have a school director who was supportive and who allowed me to conduct a free workshop last Friday, April 13.  A week before the day of implementation, I sent an email request to the school director asking if I can implement the lesson to students who would like to volunteer to attend the workshop.   Aside from letting her know that the workshop was a project I needed to complete for the CEP 800 class, I also explained to her of the possibility of offering this lesson for a fee in the future  because of the benefits that it would bring to further expose students to learning  online collaboration and understanding the  simple use of the “cloud”. 

The best approaches to get students to sign up for a short notice were:  announcing the event during my lab classes and posting the invitation on the board.  I also requested other instructors to mention the workshop during their classes.  

Adult learners are often skeptical about learning new information unless the information applies directly to their perceived needs.  It was necessary for me to let the students know why I was conducting this workshop.   There were six adult students who attended the class.  Five staff members were also interested to join the training but the schedule did not work for them due to previously committed appointments.  I will plan on conducting another session next month for staff, instructors, and students who did not make it during the first session.

The workshop was in face-to-face learning format and I used practical examples and hands-on activities to keep students engaged.  The workshop ended with students who were glad that they attended the session.  I was convinced that the students had a meaningful training experience during the workshop because of the positive written feedback that I have received from the students.

REFLECTING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION

After the lesson was implemented,   students learned how to manage files in the “cloud” using SkyDrive.   Students collaborated and shared files with other students using web-based applications called Office Web Apps.  Office Web Apps include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.  OneNote is also an Office Web App but was only briefly introduced in the workshop.

Through the use of SkyDrive, it allowed students to intuitively perform and complete the activities in the lesson.   Learners’ self-esteem was reinforced as they realized that the lesson was aligned with the current technology advances.   I asked my students to complete hands-on projects to further assess their knowledge of the subject matter.  All students acknowledged that the technology used in the lesson as well as the lesson content were “making sense” to them.   They suggested that the lesson should be included in the current curriculum because of its relevance and advantages to their lifestyle and/or career.  One student said that she can use Office Web Apps to collaborate online with her daughter in China.   Another student visualized the lesson as an effective tool to use in creating her e-portfolio to market her skills for job searching. 

During the training, I expected that even if the students have been previously exposed to Office 2010, their skill levels would still vary and may affect how fast they can grasp the presented subject matter.  Because of this, I made sure that I took time in assisting them individually while keeping other students occupied with additional projects.  

In conclusion, the technology I used in the lesson has a simple interface which enabled students to learn the concept of using a “cloud” platform.  The lesson on Office Web Apps allowed students to further understand the use of an office productivity suite for file sharing and/or online collaboration.  Understanding the concept of file sharing and online collaboration encouraged students to help each other work toward completing common tasks and intrinsically motivated them by giving them more options in accomplishing real-world tasks.    The lesson was intuitively presented to students who seek to learn the simplest and most efficient way to accomplish a task for practical use. 

The next step is to propose to our school director a way to incorporate this lesson in the existing curriculum for the Office Expert Certificate Program.  I will back my proposal up with the positive written testimonials that I have received from the students who volunteered to attend the workshop.  I also plan on using the lesson plan for professional development training.