Q & A Sessions: Just-in-time Teaching

Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) is an educational strategy where asynchronous Canvas material and an activity are paired and then are completed in the synchronous Zoom class meeting. The idea is to create a strong connection between what your students are doing in Canvas and what you do in your Zoom class while actively engaging your students when you are together online (Novak et al., 1999). Put simply JiiT equals a feedback loop between Canvas study and an active Zoom class session. There are 3 types of JiTT activities each with a different goal:

WarmUps:   a short Canvas activity that takes place BEFORE live instruction in Zoom. The warmups are designed to get your students thinking about the instruction before the Zoom class meeting.  As the name implies, a warmup primes your students for a better workout. The activity can be as simple as asking some questions in Canvas before your class meeting. This leaves your class meeting free to hone in on the places where students need help. Because you receive the warmup answers in advance, you are able to tailor your live session around the students answers and needs.  See this example of a Biology class WarmUp Activity Links to an external site.. 

Puzzles: a short Canvas activity that takes place AFTER a topic has been covered in a live Zoom class session. Think wrap-up here. As teachers you know that wrap-ups help your student integrate material and concepts from week to week. Here is an example of a wrap-up Puzzle question following instruction:

 You are standing on a log and a friend is trying to knock you off. He throws the ball at you. You can catch it, or you can let it bounce off of you. Which is more likely to topple you, catching the ball or letting it bounce off? from the SERC JITT Library Links to an external site.

GoodFors: can start in Canvas and conclude in Zoom with the goal of applying learning concepts to the real world. This can take the form of thought provoking questions around a topic in Canvas that culminate in an active Zoom discussion in your live class session. Consider this What is Biology Good For? Links to an external site. example around the Human Genome Project (This example includes both the lesson content along with the student activity that you would build in Canvas).

Based on Vanderbilt University's Center for Teaching and Learning: Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) Links to an external site. By Cynthia Brame, CFT Assistant Director

The idea of JiTT is to use Canvas and Zoom in an integrated harmony by targeting teaching topics and chunking content in Canvas and tasking your students with preview, review or applied activities. Zoom is used to focus in on or extend the micro Canvas activity. Go beyond giving information and add scenarios and examples to your content. Involve your students and ask them to apply to their life, or professional field, have them compare to another field,discipline or culture and finally ask them to reinvent something.

Strict JiTT design is categorized by the 3 types of online techniques described above. As a teacher feel free to create your own recipe from them. They are included here as a starting place to work from. The just-in-time teaching and learning technique can be as simple as a Question and Answer session at the start of each Zoom class session taken directly from a Canvas assignment due before class. The key is to use Canvas and require due dates that will prompt your students; and to time these activities with a live session. 

In a just-in-time reinvention Benjamin Franklin adapted an ancient Chinese proverb ..."The ear’s hearing something is not as good as the eye’s seeing it; the eye’s seeing it is not as good as the foot’s treading upon it; the foot’s treading upon it is not as good as the hands differentiating it.”

to  this...

"Tell me and i'll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn." 

Keep this in mind as you utilize a just-in-time tag team of teaching and learning in your asynchronous Canvas and synchronous Zoom course design.