Teaching

My teaching portfolio is based on the framework presented in the journal article, "Establishing a Framework for Assessing Teaching Effectiveness", and implemented as part of a year long workshop with the Center for Teaching and Learning at Boise State University.

The components of my teaching portfolio are the following:

  1. Teaching Statement - My thoughts about my own teaching
  2. Course Design - Dimensions of my class materials
  3. Scholarly Teaching - Empirical-based teaching techinques I use
  4. Learner-Centered - Evidence of my inclusive teaching
  5. Reflective Practices - Continous self-improvement in regards to teaching


Teaching Statement

I remember when I first started programming. The near-instant gratification of putting simple code into a file and seeing the output on my computer screen made me excited to learn more. However, I also remember the frustration of spending hours in a computer lab on a program that turned out different than I expected. Now, as an educator, it is my hope to show students the joys of technology while demonstrating to them how to deal with its frustrations. I want my students to know that anyone, including them, can learn to program. At the same time though, I want them to know that learning to program requires time and they do not need to know everything right away.

My methods for helping students to achieve these goals include: authentic tasks, allowing them to connect assignments to their self-interests, project-based outcomes, and timely feedback. As a professional software developer with +10 years of experience, I remember having to often solve issues that I had not previously encountered before. This required me to prototype possible solutions before fully implementing them. Using that same line of thought, I ask my students to complete assignments that resemble authentic tasks in that they require them to apply new knowledge to somewhat ill-defined problems. This requires students to plan and explore how they will complete a given assignment without any type of specific blueprint. Tasks like this require that I properly sequence content and limit the scope of each so as to not overwhelm individuals.

A closely related idea related to authentic tasks is the idea of allowing students to connect assignments to their self-interests. I believe computing education can be hard for many students to learn, if they are asked to complete assignments that do not connect to their self-interests. Problems without a context that students find interesting may lead them to think certain content areas are uninteresting and unimportant. If you want someone to have an interest in something, it is easier if you can connect to their own self-interests. When I design assignments, I try to make them open-ended enough to allow students some freedom in choosing the content of the assignment. By having influence in the context of their work, students can engage with domains they find more relative. One example of this type of assignment is the mobile-friendly self-introduction website I ask students in my first web programming class to create. That assignment has a general set of criteria that students are responsible for, but the content is of their choosing.

Complementary to the ideas of authentic tasks and connecting assignments to self-interests is project-based outcomes. I believe the best way to understand if students are learning and if my teaching is effective is to use project-based outcomes. Once students have the opportunity to start developing a conceptual understanding of how a specific technology works, I believe project-based outcomes are a strong method for summatively assessing student understanding. Projects can be designed to measure cumulative understanding of a technology, since students have the opportunity to use multiple features of that technology in context. Another advantage of project-based outcomes is that it allows students to connect technology to personal interests not possible in many other assessment methods. An example of this type of work is the mobile narrative project in my first semester web-programming course. Students are asked to tell a story about something important to them using the tools we cover in class from the web programming ecosystem. By assessing students' understanding using these methods, I will be able to properly adjust my teaching as needed.

The previous mentioned ideas are at their best when I provide timely feedback. When students complete an assignment, I want them to know what they excelled at and what they could improve upon with constructive feedback. I try to deliver in a timely fashion, so that students can use the feedback in their next assignment(s).

My ultimate goal as an educator is to put individuals in a place where they are able to be successful whether that be inside of the classroom or at the workplace after graduation. My experiences in programming, researching how to measure student understanding, and guiding others how to use technology makes me an effective educator for teaching others about technology. I know students are people and that they each come to class with different academic backgrounds and knowledge. I strive to meet students at their level of understanding and guide them until they can start working independently using their own initiative.

- Jack Polifka



Course Design

Category Evidence Provided Description of How Evidence Supports the Criterion
2.1. Course learning outcomes guide course design process When designing courses, my first step is to collect external feedback about content that could be in the course (course description and department faculty input). After collecting and reviewing external feedback, I combine that information with my own insight to develop learning outcomes that are clear, measurable, and level appropriate (see GIMM 260 Course Design Table). From there, I develop sub-learning outcomes, course activities and assignments based on each learning outcome. The order of each learning outcome and their associated activities is sequenced to properly scaffold student understanding (see GIMM 260 Course Design Table & Syllabus).
2.2. Alignment of assessments My choice of formative and summative assessments can be seen in the GIMM 260 Course Design Table & Syllabus and are based on learning outcomes. I teach classes that are normally 2h 30mins long. In order to measure if students understand the content from class, I use a range of in-class activities for formative assessment. My goal with each formative assessment is to provide quick feedback to students, so they can utilize it for programming assignments outside of class. Summative assignments are in the form of programming assignments and projects.
2.3. Alignment of course activities For each class activity, assignment, and project, I explicitly state the purpose of each (see GIMM 260 Self-Introduction Website & HTML / CSS Assignment). Before students start on work in my classes, I want to know the reason a given assignment was chosen.
2.4. Course design and learning outcomes encourage discipline-specific ways of thinking Activities in GIMM 260 incorporate many relevant aspects of real-world programming including: programming as a social activity (see GIMM 260 In-class Activity: Responsive CSS Contest), the need to update existing code (see GIMM 260 Mobile Friendly Self-Introduction Project), and iterative product development (see GIMM 260 Mobile Narrative Project (Part 1)). Each of these aspects are stated in the purpose section of each assignment and students can read about them before working.
2.5. Student achievement of course learning outcomes The learning objectives broadly for GIMM 260 and 285 are about how to implement mobile-responsive websites. In GIMM 260 (see GIMM 260 Syllabus), this means learning the basics of how to design a website (HTML & CSS) and the basics of how to use a database (Node.js & MySQL). The context for these skills is how to use a website to present a data-driven narrative. For GIMM 285 (see GIMM 285 Syllabus), students expand their web development skills by learning to design web-based forms, extend their knowledge of how to use a database, and how to combine both of the previous elements into a complex website. The learning objectives of GIMM 340 are about how to implement Internet of Things (IoT) applications using cloud computing (see GIMM 340 Syllabus). Student work in GIMM 340 that displays these learning objectives include the software responsible for a smart toilet and a virtual pet.


Scholarly Teaching

Category Evidence Provided Description of How Evidence Supports the Criterion
3.1. Situational factors considered There are a number of situational factors I consider for my teaching include: the location and size of the class, my students' schedule, and their purpose for being in the GIMM major. First, all of my courses in GIMM are taught in a computer lab with a maximum of 30 students. When designing my courses, I try to design activities that would only be possible in that specific environment (e.g. group programming in GIMM 260 and 285 syllabus) Second, related to students' schedules, I do not penalize last work. I do not know all of the factors in their life that may impact their ability to complete work, so I accept all homework until the final week before finals. This can be seen in the GIMM 260, GIMM 285, and GIMM 440 syllabus. Lastly, another factor I reflect when teaching is what is the reason why a student is in my course. Students in GIMM have various interests ranging from programming to art to game design. Due to these various interests and the fact that my courses have learning outcomes related to programming, I design my coursework to allow students to connect work to their own interests when possible. An example of this can be seen in the GIMM 260 Mobile Narrative Project (part 1) where students need to develop a web narrative about a topic of their choice.
3.2. Relationship between instructional practices and learning outcomes All of the content associated with my learning outcomes (seen in GIMM 260 Course Design Table and Syllabus) is given to students in three forms in this order: weekly formative in-class group activity, weekly formative individual programming activity, and summative individual project. Weekly in-class group activities allow me to introduce class content in a low-stakes environment to students where they have the chance to practice what they learned with their peers. Out-of-class assignments are another low-stakes environment for students as I make it a point to give feedback on each of these. After those opportunities to practice what they learn, students are finally assessed using individual projects. The order of these activities is shown in the GIMM 260 Syllabus.
3.3. Implementation of EBIPs According to research, computing courses have a reputation of being boring and/or too hard. To overcome these I frequently use EBIPs such as pair-programming, contextualized computing, and collaborative learning to address these. Pair-programming is when two or more individuals focus on a specific coding task together at the same time (this is in contrast to something like divide-and-conquer work style). This EBIP also helps to show students programming is a social activity as compared to an individual one. Closely related is collaborative learning. When students work together, they often have better retention of knowledge (constructivism). Lastly, contextualized computing allows students to connect programming content to their interests by allowing them to code about something they are interested in. Examples of these EBIPs can be seen in GIMM 260 In-class Activity: Responsive CSS Contest and GIMM 260 Modifying D3.js Visualization.
3.4. Assessments follow good practices For my courses, I design both my formative and summative assessments to offer choice, be transparent, and to be growth-oriented. Take for example, GIMM 260 Mobile Narrative Project (Part 2). This is the second hand-in of a three part final project. The criteria for the assessment are clearly communicated in the project document. The project allows students to design a web narrative about a topic of their choice. Lastly, part of the criteria asks them to incorporate feedback from the first hand-in as means of improving upon previous work.
3.5. Assessment criteria are effectively communicated. All of the criteria for my coursework are written as one point details. This makes what students need to complete easier to understand. Examples of this criteria can be seen in the following: GIMM 260 Self-Introduction Website, GIMM 260 HTML / CSS Assignment, and GIMM 260 Mobile Narrative Project (Part 2).


Learner-Centered

Category Evidence Provided Description of How Evidence Supports the Criterion
4.1. Student engagement during class I use a variety of methods to engage student attention including: knowledge probes via white board activities, programming in groups during class, and allowing the freedom to select topics for their programming assignments & projects. Each of these either directs students to actively participate with content or to have some level of influence in their work in order for it to be more meaningful to me. Examples of these can be seen in the following: GIMM 260 Week 12 Powerpoint (Slide 2), GIMM 285 In-class Activity: Forms.
4.2. Learning activities The learning goals for my courses are mostly technical (e.g. GIMM 260 Syllabus, GIMM 285 Syllabus). In order to make the content related to these learning goals more engaging, I rely on two primary methods. First, I allow students to select what context they complete their assignments and projects for. For example, for the GIMM 260 Mobile Narrative Project (part 1), I allow students to select the story they want to tell with their narrative and only have hard requirements on the technical aspects. Similarly for the GIMM 285 In-class Activity: Forms, I allow students to create an HTML form for the topic of their choice with only requirements on the more technical aspects. The other method I use to make learning activities more engaging is by having students complete tasks that mirror what real web developers (e.g. redesign an existing website (GIMM 260 Mobile Friendly Self-Introduction Website)) and incorporate client feedback into a project (GIMM 260 Mobile Narrative Project (Part 2)).
4.3. Student-centered approach in course materials To support the diversity of my students, I try not to assume too much about them including their interests or lifestyles. Due to this, I have had several considerations to my courses. First, all of my courses have a late work policy that allows all work to be accepted up until the Saturday before final exam week (e.g. GIMM 260 Syllabus, GIMM 285 Syllabus, GIMM 440 Syllabus). Second, I have assignments designed to meet students one-on-one early in the semester in order to talk with them and to learn more about them (e.g. GIMM 260: Brainstorming for Mobile Narrative Project, GIMM 285: Brainstorming for CRUD API Mobile Website).
4.4. Instructor behaviors I try to provide feedback on assignments within a week of being due, make myself available to students, and provide clear instructions for classwork. Based on my first teaching evaluations, students say I provide feedback in a timely manner and am approachable (Student Evaluations). Criteria for class work is done with 1 point objective rubrics to make it easier for others to understand (e.g. GIMM 260 Self-Introduction Website, GIMM 260 HTML / CSS Assignment, and GIMM 260 Mobile Narrative Project (Part 2)).
4.5. Classroom climate To create a classroom climate that promotes learning, I have made several considerations when designing my courses. These include: an late-work policy that helps to account for events happening in students' lives (e.g. GIMM 260 Syllabus, GIMM 285 Syllabus, GIMM 440 Syllabus), the use of “we” when talking about the class in assignments (e.g. GIMM 260: In-class Activity SELECT Statements (Part 1)), open-ended assignments that allow students some freedom to select topics that are more relevant for themselves (e.g. GIMM 260 Mobile Narrative Project (part 1), GIMM 285 In-class Activity: Forms), and being available for conversation (e.g. Student Evaluations).


Reflective Practices

Category Evidence Provided Description of How Evidence Supports the Criterion
5.1. Professional development The professional goals as instructor are to improve my teaching in the general sense. This portfolio is evidence of that as I try to be reflective of what I do in the classroom. Currently, my specific goals related to improving my teaching are to become more knowledgeable about the current happenings in the computing education research (CER) field, incorporate more of the non-technical issues of computing (e.g. ethics), and diversify the types of learning & assessment activities I use in the classroom. I attend a variety of local and national professional development activites to learn about the various ways I can incorporate non-technical issues in my courses and help me to stay on top of what is happening in CER.
5.2. Self-reflection I try to be self-reflective in my own teaching based on information from a number sources including: self-reflection on my current practices, prior experience as a student, my current students, and the knowledge of other researchers. First, I participate in professional development opportunities like the one for developing this portfolio to be self-reflective of my practice and improve my teaching. Second, my prior experience as a student has taught me that it is important that students be able to select the context of their work when learning computing. I have had classes in the past that taught computing very abstractly. This was not only boring to me, but also hard to connect to the larger application of computing. This is why I use contextual learning and let students select the topics for their programming assignments (e.g GIMM 260 Mobile Narrative Project (part 1), GIMM 285 In-class Activity: Forms, GIMM 260 Mobile Friendly Self-Introduction Website). Third, students and their work can tell me if the way I taught something worked or not. For example, during my spring 2022 GIMM 285 course, I noticed multiple students were repeatedly late in completing assignments related to SQL (database programming language). After noticing this, I updated the schedule to allow more time for this topic in class (seen in GIMM 285 Syballus). Fourth, I try to follow and incorporate the research of educational researchers. The two main avenues I follow and practice are constructivistism and contextual learning. Constructivistism lends itself to more active learning (e.g GIMM 285 In-class Activity: Forms) while contextual learning lends itself to students selecting their topics when completing assignments and making the content more personal (e.g. GIMM 260 Mobile Narrative Project (part 1), GIMM 260 Mobile Friendly Self-Introduction Website). Lastly, I take advantage of the resources offered by the Boise State University's Center for Teaching and Learning to inform the status of my courses. For example, during my Fall 2022, I asked for a Midsemester Assessment Program (MAP) for my new GIMM 340 course (see Fall 2022 - GIMM 340 Midsemester Assessment Program). Based on the feedback, I removed the 2nd project from my course in order to better focus on the earlier topics taught in the course.
5.3. Continuous improvement plan Currently, the areas of teaching I want to improve the most are diversifying the type of assessments I use and incorporating more non-technical issues into my computing courses (e.g. ethics). I want to diversify the type of assessments I use in order to have even stronger evidence that the way I am teaching is really working (Results From Research - Future). I want to incorporate more non-technical issues into my computing courses, because it is important that students are aware of the power and influence computing has in today's world. In order to meet these goals I plan on developing a concept inventory around the broader idea of client - server computing and then making it available for public use and continuing to attend different professional development activities to improve my ability to teach about non-technical issues in my computing courses.
5.4. Incorporates feedback Whenever I receive feedback from my students, I try to incorporate it according to my teaching. An example of student feedback I incorporate would be for my GIMM 260 course. Two things my fall 2021 students thought I did well were my timely feedback and how coursework built on previous content. One thing students I said I could improve on would be the way AJAX / Node.js were taught in class (Fall 2021 - GIMM 260 Student Evaluations). In my fall 2022 course evaluations, I hope to see my course maintain the same strengths as the past year while improving upon the weaknesses (Fall 2022 - GIMM 260 Student Evaluations). Another example of incorporating feedback can be seen in my GIMM 285 course. I noticed multiple students were repeatedly late in completing assignments related to SQL (database programming language). After noticing this, I updated the schedule to allow more time for this topic in class (seen in GIMM 285 Syballus)
5.5. Shares lessons learned about teaching with others The main method I can share lessons about my teaching with others is by completing education research and sharing the results. I have prior experience developing assessments for introductory college STEM courses and publishing the results (see Google Scholar Profile). I plan to continue to develop and publish assessment materials for education research in the field of college computing.

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Last updated: 01/06/2025