Greetings to ETEC 601 Audiobridge Participants--
The information in this FAQ (frequently asked questions) file is intended
to provide you with basic course information, along with some URLs I have
identified to be helpful along the way.
What should I do first in this course?
Be sure to send me an e-mail message with basic introductory information.
When we begin class, we will be starting with the text, since there is so
much to cover.
When you are sending e-mail, please submit *plain, vanilla* e-mail as I do
not read e-mail with MIME attachments.
By the way, we will be communicating through email throughout the course.
When can I go to the site lab?
Remember that your site lab assistant will be available *all* sessions, in
the event that you need assistance with your assignments, going
online, searching, etc.
What do I do if I have online problems?
If you are having a computer or technical support problem, you will need to
contact the people who handle these activities. Main Help Desk (800-541-6682), ext. 4357
How do I get my questions about the class answered?
Any questions that relate to the ETEC 601 class or course content should be
sent to me through email. GTEP staff cannot answer these questions for you.
I don't have an online account. Can I use my husband's/wife's,
sister/brother-in-law's, daughter's/son's, etc., account?
Please know that I cannot send information that relates to you, or your
activities as a student, to any email account other than your own. Please
do not send me a message through someone else's account and expect me to
return a message of significant content to you. Although I am in no way an
Internet policeperson, I would caution you against doing this since you
never know who might question your use of accounts. NSU and FIRN frown on
this practice--big time! Many of our students use free personal accounts
through Hotmail .
How can I forward my NSU e-mail to another account?
For information on forwarding your NSU e-mail to another e-mail address, follow
these instructions.
What about using FIRN accounts?
On March 2, 1999, we were notified that "FIRNmail is being retired," and
will be completely deactivated by January 1, 2000. If you would like to
register for a POPmail account (that requires a high-speed modem), then
follow these directions that were provided by FIRN:
"You can register for POPmail via the dial-up process:
1) Dial and connect to a FIRN number
2) for username, type netreg (must be lower case)
3) for password, type firn (must be lower case)
4) read the screen info presented then type netreg again
5) select the POPmail account option
6) complete the registration information
7) PLEASE NOTE: your POPmail username and password will be assigned
and given to you online during registration - NOTHING will be
postal mailed to you so be sure to write them down.
You can register for POPmail via a direct connect at school or via another
ISP Internet access:
1) telnet to wizard.firn.edu
2) read the screen info presented then type netreg
3) select the POPmail account option
4) complete the registration information
5) PLEASE NOTE: your POPmail username and password will be assigned
and given to you online during registation - NOTHING will be postal
mailed to you so be sure to write them down.
If you have questions, please phone the FIRN Helpdesk at 800/749-3476."
Is there anything special I should do at/before audiobridge?
For the consideration of all participants, turn off any speakerphone feature
before calling into class. Although I know this feature is very convenient
for the student who is using it, speakerphones distort the sound quality for
the rest of us.
It is expected that all students and facilitators submit data sheets on the
first day of class. Forms are available online at the NSU Educational Media Web Page.
How can I help the instructor to speed up answers to my e-mail?
When sending messages to me, please note the course number to which you are
referring. I work with many students, facilitators, and lab monitors each
term, and this notation would certainly help me to speed information
along to you.
What is the first page for an assignment?
Remember to put a heading or a cover sheet on every assignment that
you submit.
How long does it take to get assignments back?
I do my best to return assignments to you as soon as possible. To speed up
this process, submit your assignments directly to me (P.O. Box 273404, Boca
Raton, FL 33427) and include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the
return of the assignment. Obviously, physical turnaround takes a bit
of time, not to mention the time that it will take me to evaluate what has
been submitted. Nevertheless, I will try to proceed rapidly. Please be sure
to keep a copy of all messages that pertain to grades.
Do you have any recommendations for online articles?
Do you know of other online sources I should monitor?
Do you know where I can get free magazines on technology?
Are there any tricks to finding out about library resources for distance learning students at NSU?
Libraries Having Formal Agreements with Nova Southeastern University
The following libraries have formal agreements with NSU stating that NSU
students have use of the library and, sometimes for a fee, NSU students are
eligible for a library card. According to the Directory of Selected Academic
Libraries Near Off-Campus Program Sites, a document issued by NSU's Office
of Resource Information for External Programs, "NSU programs usually will
reimburse a student for one library card at an appropriate institution.
However, some programs set limits of $50.00 or $100.00 per student" (p. iii).
According to this document, GTEP students are eligible for services in the
following sites (listed in order, as listed in the Directory):
Florida - Daytona Beach Area
1. Stetson University - DeLand, Florida ($35/$100)
2. University of Florida - Gainesville, Florida (No fee stated)
3. University of Central Florida - Orlando, Florida ($60)
4. Rollins College - Winter Park, Florida ($50)
5. Bethune-Cookman College - Daytona Beach, Florida (No fee stated)
- Fort Myers Area
1. Eckerd College - St. Petersburg, Florida ($30)
2. New College of the University of South Florida - Sarasota ($50)
3. University of South Florida - Tampa, Florida ($50)
4. University of Tampa - Tampa, Florida ($20)
- Gainesville Area
1. University of North Florida - Jacksonville, Florida (No fee stated)
2. Jacksonville University - Jacksonville, Florida (No fee stated)
3. University of Florida - Gainesville, Florida (No fee stated)
4. Stetson University - DeLand, Florida ($35/$100)
.
- Melbourne Area
1. Florida Institute of Technology - Melbourne, Florida ($50)
2. University of Central Florida - Orlando, Florida ($60)
- Orlando Area
1. University of Central Florida - Orlando, Florida ($60)
2. Stetson University - DeLand, Florida ($35/$100)
3. Orlando College - Orlando, Florida (No fee stated)
4. Rollins College - Winter Park, Florida ($50)
- Sarasota Area
1. University of Tampa - Tampa, Florida ($20)
2. University of South Florida - Tampa, Florida ($50)
- Tampa Area
1. University of South Florida - Tampa, Florida ($50)
2. Eckerd College - St. Petersburg, Florida ($30)
3. University of Tampa - Tampa, Florida ($20)
- West Palm Beach Area
1. Florida Atlantic University - Boca Raton, Florida (No fee through
SEFLIN Card Privileges)
2. Palm Beach Atlantic College - West Palm Beach, Florida (No fee stated)
Nevada - Las Vegas
1. University of Nevada - Las Vegas, Nevada (No fee stated)
If there is *No fee stated*, you must usually provide some proof of
residency, picture ID, driver's license, local library card, etc., and then
fill out a form. The fee is usually charged for borrowing privileges and
other services, such as interlibrary loan.
For reimbursement, send a copy of your receipt and a written request to
Mr. Tim Shields at the North Miami Beach GTEP Site.
Are there any other library resources for South Florida Students?
SEFLIN SERVICES FOR STUDENTS IN BROWARD, DADE, and PALM BEACH
Let's imagine a situation where you cannot find the library
materials that you wish to use at the NSU Einstein Library. What
are your alternatives? You could request interlibrary loan
services, or you can use the services of another library, such as
your public library. But, you still have other options!
Did you know that if you are a student, faculty member, or
professional staff member of NSU that you are eligible for user
privileges at the following libraries that are members of SEFLIN
(Southeast Florida Library Network)?
Which libraries are included in SEFLIN?
Broward Community College
(North and South Regional Campuses)
Florida Atlantic University
(Boca and Palm Beach Gardens Campuses)
Florida International University
(North Miami and University Park Campuses)
International Fine Arts College
Lynn University
Miami-Dade Community College
(All campuses)
Northwood University
Palm Beach Atlantic College
Palm Beach Community College
(Central Campus)
St. Thomas University (Main Campus)
Trinity College at Miami
What do you need to do to use library services of SEFLIN
member libraries?
1. Get a student identification card made at the NSU Registrar's
Office. (Call for business hours.)
2. Go to the NSU's Einstein Library in the Parker Building and
request a SEFLIN card.
3. Take the SEFLIN card, NSU identification card, and driver's
license to the library circulation desk of the college/university
at which you wish to use library services. (You may wish to use
the services of several libraries and you will need to apply for
services at each separate library.)
4. You will be given a library card for that particular
university which you will have to present each time you borrow
materials.
5. All privileges are determined by the lending library.
6. Review the rules of SEFLIN and know your responsibilities.
NOTE: You will probably have to fill out forms for each library
from which you request a card, but you will need only ONE SEFLIN
card, regardless of how many different library cards you apply
for.)
Additionally, in addition to the sites listed above, faculty
members are able to use the following libraries:
Barry University
Broward Community College
(Central Campus)
Palm Beach Community College
(Belle Glade and Eissey Campuses)
University of Miami
(Richter Library)
Enjoy this great service that NSU provides for you! And don't
forget that many of these universities provide web-page library
information. Search before you go!
What are the electronic databases available to me at NSU?
Go into the "el" (Electronic Library) to check the many valuable databases that are
free for your use as a GTEP student.
Did you know that you have access to the online Book Review Digest through
el? Try it out!
There sure is a lot of information to know for this course. Can you
help me to organize the tools for studying?
I know that many of you are wondering how you are going to categorize much
of the information of your text into meaningful memory? To aid in this
process, I suggest that you first refer to the table of contents of your text.
As the course progresses, I plan to add an additional list to this faq in
this area, so check back here in a week.
Do we really need to be concerned about how to list bibliographic
information in a reference list?
Yes.
You should have a copy of the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association. Also, there are online Websites that offer
examples of APA form and style, such as Electronic Style - APA.
When considering information for the citation, don't forget
appropriate volume, issue, and page numbers. In other words, the citation
should provide enough information so that I can track down the exact same
source that you used to answer your question. Also, even if you photocopy
the page that answers the question, I will still need the complete
citation.
Is there a good resource that we could use for demographic information
for our school?
Try the U.S. Census Information Web Page.
Also look at How to Effectively Locate Federal Government Information on the Web.
This URL and opening Web page message lead to a fairly short and
simple introduction to the location and use of online government documents.
The section on statistics should be particularly helpful and one that you will
wish to bookmark for your future days as a ready reference information
provider.
Be sure to also check the Florida Schools Indicators Listing.
It seems that the ERIC site provides a lot of information for teachers.
Can you explain how it is set up? I get confused with the numbers on the
documents.
Before you have completed ETEC 601, be sure that you completely understand
the difference between items indexed by ERIC (Educational Resources
Information Center - http://ericir.syr.edu). RIE (Resources in Education)
indexes the ERIC documents (ED numbers). CIJE (Current Index to Journals
in Education) indexes journal articles about educational topics that are of
interest to educators. These articles have EJ (ERIC journal) numbers.
An ERIC document is an item that is submitted to ERIC that may be a
non-published article, pamphlet, proceeding recording, etc. The items from
CIJE, that are also included in the ERIC database, are journal articles
from other publications. Only the bibliographical information for these
articles are included in the database. The actual article is pulled from
the journal.
So, there is a great difference between ED and EJ items and numbers. Why?
Because the numbers and their prefixes determine how you go about getting
a copy of the item. If you have ordered through el (Electronic Library),
you know that a request for an ED requires the document number, author, and
title; an EJ (journal) request requires that you submit the author, title
of the article, journal title, volume and issue numbers, and page numbers.
EJ items are available by accessing the journal itself. ED items are only
available through a library that subscribes and receives the documents,
usually in microfiche format.
Do you know how to submit an item to ERIC? If not, go to the ERIC site or
check your text.
To see the difference between ED and EJ when ordering, go to el and look at
the options under ordering. If you haven't experimented with ordering
through el, this would be a good opportunity!
What is the process for taking tests and getting grades?
Your test will be administered at your site. This test is a closed-book/no
note test that covers many of the topics discussed during audiobridge,
facilitated sessions, in assignments, and through e-mail messages.
Please be sure that you have submitted all of your assignments either
through your facilitator or by mailing them directly to me. All materials
are due by the last class meeting. Grades are to be submitted within one
week of the last class meeting, however, this is usually not possible since
we do not receive materials from the sites by that time.
You will received notice of your grades through the Registrar's Office in a
few weeks after the class ends. Just so that you know the process, as soon
as I have received and reviewed your assignments, I submit the grades to
Mr. Cedric Thompson at GTEP. He then inputs the grades into the online SIS
(Student Information System). The Registrar's Office then processes grade
reports and sends them to the student.
Do you have any other URLs that we can use for this course?
Educational WWW Resources for K-12 Students and Teachers (by subject)
I urge you to scan through the contents for their usefulness to you and other teachers in
your school. The section on information technology will be particularly useful to your ETEC studies.
Is there a listserv we should monitor?
IT Forum is an interesting group to monitor, if you're interested in theory.
Since we are going to be involved in development of products, do you have anysuggestions
on sites or products to use for development?
I suggest that you use HyperStudio or Compel or some other type of product that
encourages
interactivity. Products developed with PowerPoint tend to fall short on this
end.
Here are some items that may interest you.
Are there any special sites you wish us to look at for learning style evaluations?
There are many sites online, but you might wish to look at the
Are there any other general links that may also have technology applications?
Online Resources and Utilities
Do you have any other links that would support Educational Technology students?
Miscellaneous Sources for Educational Technology Students
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Assignment Information
As you are in the process of composing first assignments, please look over
the following information that was circulated through GTEP during Winter II
1998:
1. Margins - Use 1 1/2 inch margine on all four sides of page. Use 2" at
the top of the first page of the document or for chapter title pages.
2. Title pages - Use the title page model shown in the Practicum
Internship Handbook, adjusting the name of the assignment to match the
specified class or practicum document.
3. Page numbers - Use bottom-center page numbers on all pages.
4. Spacing - Use double spacing for all pages, all conditions, except in
tables and figures.
5. Punctuation - Use only one space after punctuation marks that end
sentences, also including colons and semicolons. Use no space between a
quotation mark and the adjoining word.
6. Running heads - None.
7. Hyphens - Most hyphens have been eliminated, except with "self-" words
and with multiple adjectives *before a noun*. See exceptions, APA, p. 74.
8. Binding - Follow professors' wishes. Practicum Internship documents
have no binding or staples. (For courses for Yates, staple pages together.
Do not use binders, folders, or plastic sleeves, unless advised otherwise.)
9. Ethnic terms - Capitalize ethnic terms: White, Black, Native American
and all languages.
10. Multiple authors - Use both names each time for *two* authors of the
same item. Use "et al." with the first author's name for *three to five
authors* only after using ALL authors' names the first time. Use "et al."
with the first authors name for *six or more authors*, starting with the
first time the item is used. Use "and" with multiple authors in the text,
but use "&" in the citation.
11. Citations - Use the date with the author's name the first time it is
used in a paragraph. No additional date for the same author is needed in
the same paragraph.
12. Numbers in text - General rule is to use *words for numbers less than
10* and *numerals for 10 and above*. Important exceptions are located
mainly on APA, pp. 99 - 105. Consult APA index for more.
13. References - APA provides ample examples for reference formats. Be
sure to follow these. Some examples are able available through
.
Also, be sure to go to el (Electronic Library) and look for the examples of
form and style for APA (American Psychological Association), which GTEP
follows instead of the old GTEP Form and Style Manual.
*
Assignment 1
As you are completing Assignment 1, be sure that you are providing complete
descriptions for the questions asked in the assignment description in your
course syllabus. Be specific when describing how the instruments evaluate
your learning style, e.g., how are the questions phrased? Do you see
similarities in the organization of the questions? Were the questions
leading? Was it easy to "trick" the instrument because you knew the
questions were leading?
And now that you've completed Assignment 1, so what? How will you apply
this information to other activities in the course? The goal is for you to
understand, beyond the obvious differences in learning styles, that these
differences should influence how instructional products are designed. By
working through a *variety* of learning styles instruments, you are
prepared to address the learning task through different viewpoints, knowing
that your personal style is just an example of one way of learning.
This background in learning styles will assist you as you evaluate other
instructional products in Assignment 2. Because you will be analyzing
*instructional* products (and not home-market items), you will be looking
at examples for evidence of design process steps that are required for
quality design.
By the way, now that you are aware of your learning style (as based on the
instruments that you used for evaluation), do you think that you *teach* to
your learning style? For example, many teachers are visual learners and
the logical assumption would be that they teach in a visual format.
Arguments can be made that we do not present the way we best receive. What
can you determine about the match between your learning style and your
teaching style? How would this affect your product design?
Several of you have mentioned that you wish to start using learning style
evaluation instruments with your classes, and I think this might be a good
starting point for gathering more information about your students.
However, be aware that certain districts have requirements regarding
testing instruments used, so be sure to check with your district's testing
office or your school's guidance office to find out if there are any
regulations or restrictions on using instruments--even if informally. Some
of you used online instruments for self-testing, but, as you learned, these
range in accuracy and reliability.
Of course, if you would like to use these tools for more formal documentation,
you will need to work closely with your district's testing office to
identify instruments that have been evaluated for validity and reliability.
In addition to information from your professional staff, check with your
library for sources for instruments.
*
Assignment 2
On to Assignment 2 and Software Design Evaluations!
As you complete your formative evaluation of *your* product, you
will complete the *summative* evaluation. When do you do this, and why
do you do this? As you evaluate software in Assignment 2, consider how
effective the producer's summative evaluation process was. What should the
producer have caught during either the formative or summative evaluation
processes that should have been changed, refined, deleted, etc. Do you see
how these processes are very much like those used for good proofreading and
lesson evaluation?
Now that you have the instructional design steps in mind, you must consider
what else a product will have to provide the learner (and possibly the
teacher) in order to be a quality product. Ideally the product will include
everything that the learner and teacher will need to make sure that the product
achieves the instructional goals and objectives. Would additional
materials be useful? Bibliographies? Suggestions for additional
activities? Online resource listings? What will be the suggestions taht
you will make for the products that you evaluate.
I hope you are beginning to consider these issues for your assignments.
*
Assignment 3
Remember that Assignment 3 is intended to be used in an interactive,
individualized mode. The same eight instructional events are to be
considered, regardless of whether the instruction is individualized, in
small groups, or large groups. But notice that individualized instruction
can be offered in a variety of formats (See text, pages 310 - 311).
This format of delivery of individualized instruction, via computer (or other
form of technology), is often described as modules. What makes the design
of modules different from the design of individualized lessons? It's the
delivery system that requires direct instructional from the product itself,
along with other materials that might have otherwise been provided by the
teacher or text. The module is intended to function independently of
teacher-directed instruction, so it must provide for mastery and
self-evaluation.
Does (or will) your product function as a module?
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*
Chapter 2
What is instruction? What is instructional systems design? How does this
differ from instructional development? From instructional technology?
Your text refers to the instructional design model that was developed by
Dick and Carey. A figure of this model is presented on page 22 of your
text, and the nine stages of the model are discussed in Chapter 2. Be sure
you are well acquainted with these nine steps. As you are considering the
topic for your project, think of how you will address each of the nine
steps. Also, as you write the narrative report for your product that you
have designed, you will address each of the nine steps. (By the way, as you
read about the process of design, you will discover the component that is
used to distinguish between the "art" and the "science" of instructional
design.
*
Chapter 3
When we completed our audiobridge a couple of weeks ago, we were ready to begin
discussing educational goals. What are educational goals? What do they
describe? How will the *conditions of learning* (p. 9) affect your
description of the educational goals?
This leads to the *categories* of learning outcomes that must be addressed
as you are developing your product. There are five categories of learning
outcomes, and it is highly desirable that you address each of these
categories in your product design. Can you think of how each of these
categories applies ot the learning task that you will be presenting?
Chapter 4 addresses the first of these skills, intellectual skills (and a
type of intellectual skill--cognitive skills). Which intellectual skill
will your product be addressing--discriminations, concrete concepts,
defined concepts, rules, or problem solving? Notice how there is a
description of the performance for each intellectual skill, along with a
description of the internal and external conditions. Can you provide these
descriptions for your learning task?
Learner strategies, or cognitive strategies, begin on page 66. Think of
the many ways you teach your students to learn content. How do you teach
them the tips of learning content in your classroom? Do you emphasize
rehearsal strategies as many third grade teachers do who teach multiplication
tables? Do you use elaboration strategies as you guide students through
written activities? What are the special organizing strategies that a
chemistry teacher follows who is introducing the periodic table? Gifted
teachers often apply comprehension monitoring/metacognitive strategies that
teach students to monitor and direct their own learning. Affective
strategies may occur in your classroom in the form of test-taking
strategies that you emphasize before students take standardized tests.
Please be sure to revisit the readings, especially after you determine your
topic for your final assignment. The instructional design process will
make more sense if you are applying the principles to your topic. Speaking
of principles...what are the three basic learning principles?
*
Chapter 4
Remember the five categories of learned capabilities? Chapter 4 focuses on
intellectual skills and cognitive strategies.
Intellectual skills are arranged in a hierarchy on page 55, with
discriminations being the lowest level and problem solving being the
highest level. For each of the six types of intellectual skills
(discriminations, concrete concepts, defined concepts, rules, higher-order
rules, and problem solving), your text gives examples of a related
performance, along with the internal and external conditions that would
probably accompany the performance.
As you move along with your creation of Project 4, you will wish to
consider these examples, based on the learned capability that you wish your
students to learn from your project. As you write your analysis of this
project, you will be sure to state the desired capability and a description
of how the student will demonstrate the resulting capability. How does
your project work to elicit this type of behavior from the learner?
Additionally, consider the five types of cognitive strategies that are
presented. These strategies may be interwoven into the product in
unobtrusive ways, e.g., the rehearsal strategy may appear in a product in
which the students are asked to state the first five letters of the
alphabet, after these letters have been introduced. How could the other
strategies be included in your product?
Quite frequently we hear the term "higher-level thinking skills" used in
K-12 circles, but do the users really understand the term and how it
applies to instructional design? Could you define the term itself, other
than repeating what you have read in a taxonomy of thinking skills
somewhere? If you have carefully read your Chapter 4, you can!
Gagne is careful to distinguish between cognitive skills as those skills,
such as rehearsal, elaboration, and organizing, that are specifically
applied to a particular area of knowledge. Think back to your basic
chemistry class, and you will remember how you learned to categorize and
recite all of the chemical elements and compounds! But, if you applied these
same learning processes to other subjects, you have entered the realm of
metacognition whereby you instinctively knew to connect to the new subject
by means of prior learning strategies. Thus, metacognition is application
of a higher level because you are able to make learning transitions,
regardless of content.
Isn't instructional design interesting? I wonder which metacognitive
strategies you will be hoping that your learners will have as you begin
working with your Assignment 3?
Remember the five categories of learned capabilities? Chapter 4 focuses on
intellectual skills and cognitive strategies.
Intellectual skills are arranged in a hierarchy on page 55, with
discriminations being the lowest level and problem solving being the
highest level. For each of the six types of intellectual skills
(discriminations, concrete concepts, defined concepts, rules, higher-order
rules, and problem solving), your text gives examples of a related
performance, along with the internal and external conditions that would
probably accompany the performance.
As you move along with your creation of your final assignment, you will wish to
consider these examples, based on the learned capability that you wish your
students to learn from your project. As you write your analysis of this
project, you will be sure to state the desired capability and a description
of how the student will demonstrate the resulting capability. How does
your project work to elicit this type of behavior from the learner?
Additionally, consider the five types of cognitive strategies that are
presented. These strategies may be interwoven into the product in
unobtrusive ways, e.g., the rehearsal strategy may appear in a product in
which the students are asked to state the first five letters of the
alphabet, after these letters have been introduced. How could the other
strategies be included in your product?
*
Chapter 7
As you are beginning to evaluate software and create an instructional
package, you are, no doubt, very concerned about the performance objectives
that are addressed by the instructional items. Gagne, along with other
authors, suggests that the five-component objective be used--so, since we
are basing the course on Gagne's principles, we will work with that format.
This means that for your product, you will need to create five-component
objectives for your performance objectives.
What are the five components of an objective? These are:
1. situation (describes the situation where the learning occurs)
2. learned capability (nine types are suggested on page 128)
3. object (how will the action be developed or demonstrated)
4. action (a verb that states the performance)
5. tools and constraints (what will be used)
The whole point of using the five-component format is that the
instructional designer will be very specific as to what the performance of
the learner will be. So, consider this example:
[Situation] Given a description of Assignment 1 in the ETEC 601 Course Guide,
[LCV] generates [object] ten-page document [action] by locating, reading,
analysizing and writing a paper that [constraints] meets the guidelines of
the _Form and Style Manual of the American Psychological Association_.
Start practicing with the creation of five-component performance
objectives. Once you are familiar with the components, you will be able to
develop objectives that are very specific and measurable--which is what you
want to include in your final assignment. Be sure to read Chapter 7 carefully,
noting the many examples of the five-component objective.
Be on the lookout for performance objectives that begin with:
"The student will know . . . "
Although a common mistake, we must be careful to notice that all elements
of the objective are measurable and verifiable. I'm sure that in your
practice of creating performance objectives that you are making sure to
create objectives that follow these guidelines. Perhaps you will share
your examples.
*
Chapter 8
Your text offers information on two classes of task analysis: (1)
procedural task analysis and (2) learning-task analysis. By completing the
procedural task analysis (also called an "information-processing
analysis"), the instructional designer crystallizes a description of the
related objective, in addition to the sequence of performances necessary to
complete the objective. (This is where the five-component objectives come
in, remember?) Next, the learning-task analysis will help the designer to
identify (1) essential prerequisites (prior knowledge) and (2) supportive
prerequisites (knowledge or experience that makes the learning easier).
Have you verified that you have completed a task analysis in the course of
your design process?
*
Chapter 9
Regarding instructional sequences, education in our culture supports four
levels (course, topic or unit, lesson, and lesson component). For the
purpose of this course, you are designing instruction for Level 3 (lesson)
for your Assignment 3. A lesson-map (figure 9-4) is offered in your text
on page 176, and, as you have read, Chapter 12 addresses an individual
lesson. Be sure that you have declared the intellectual skills addressed
for your Assignment 3. Also, note the many examples of lessons offered in
Chapter 12 (pp. 238-244) that describe the progression of instructional
evens. This review should be very helpful to you as you are organizing
materials for Assignment 3.
*
Chapter 10
Remember that we discussed the events of instruction, and note
that these same nine events are included in the format of the individual
lessons that are described in chapter 12 of your text. Examples are also
provided of sample lesson plans, based on the type of learning outcome
that has been identified for the lesson. For example, if you are designing
a lesson for a student to learn to convert temperature from fahrenheit to
celsius, you will wish to look at the "Example of a Lesson for Teaching a
Rule" that is offered on page 241.
Be sure to review these many examples as you are designing your Project 4.
Have you identified the learning outcome of the activity? Have you
designed a lesson plan that will accompany the product that can be used by
the classroom teacher? Will it be necessary to offer the teacher a
glossary or vocabulary list in paper format, or can you integrate this into
the product?
I am sure that you will wish to discuss some of these issues with others at
your site. Remember, this is part of the very important formative
evaluation for your product.
*
Chapter 11
Remember when we were discussing the five different types of instructional
outcomes in Chapter 3? Gagne logically describes how the
teacher/trainer/designer must be aware of these outcomes in order to
correctly choose instructional media. (There is more to the selection than
just choosing by topic or format!) Why? The effective use of media is
directly related to instructional outcomes because this determines the
format and method of presenting instruction. So...the implications for
you, as you are designing your Assignment 3, are that you must consider the
learning outcomes for your learners and the types of media that would be
appropriate, based on the competencies desired. How do your Project 4
activities compare with Table 11-2 (p. 220) in terms of presentation?
*
Chapter 13
Since you are very familiar with testing, you know that it is important to
be aware of whether a test is criterion-referenced or norm-referenced?
Why? Quite simply, you wish to know whether the student is being assessed
on his performance on a specific objective or whether the student is
evaluated based on a comparison of his performance to the performances of other
students in the group. For the purposes of our course and Assignment 3,
your evaluation of students will be criterion-referenced, even though
performances of all students will be considered during the formative
evaluation stages. How does norm-referenced evaluation provide information
for the teacher or instructional designer that can be addressed in the
evaluative stage?
*
Chapter 16
I hope you have been reviewing your text and thinking about your final
project. Have you set a topic yet?
As you design your product, be sure that you consider a variety of
instructional available to your learners and your techers? In which format?
How do these materials address the objectives you have declared for your
product?
Stage 8, the formative evaluation, must be completed for each product
designed. Gagne suggests the Dick and Carey model for formative evaluation
which has three steps: (1) one on one evaluation with the learner, (2)
small group assessment, and (3) a field trial. How will you provide for
this? What is the level to which it is suggested that instructional
materials could be improved if the first step is carried out? Do you see
how many problems could be avoided if formative evaluation is begun early
in the product's development?
Now that you have completed your formative evaluation of your product, you
must complete the *summative* evaluation. When do you do this, and why
do you do this? As you evaluate software in Assignmment 2, consider how
effective the producer's summative evaluation process was. What should the
producer have caught during either the formative or summative evaluation
processes that should have been changed, refined, deleted, etc. Do you see
how these processes are very much like those used for good proofreading and
lesson evaluation?
Now that you have these steps in mind, you must consider what else your
product will have to provide the learner (and possibly the teacher) in
order to be a quality product. Ideally the product will include everything
that the learner and teacher will need to make sure that the product
achieves the instructional goals and objectives. Would additional
materials be useful? Bibliographies? Suggestions for additional
activities? Online resource listings?
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I want to be sure that you know that your U.S. Department of Education has a
toll-free number (1-800-USA-LEARN) that offers referral and reference service
for education issues. The department also issues a monthly newsletter
(Community Update) that provides URLs and lists resources that are available
(free) to educators. For example, this month's newsletter describes a free
booklet, _A Compact for Learning: An Action Handbook for Family-School-
Community Partnerships_. Last month's newsletter offered free posters.
The _Community Update_ is also available online at
http://www.ed.gov/G2K/community.
Often this resource describe items related to technology, and it provides
many online resources that you will wish to link your faculty to.
You can also request multiple copies that you can distribute to your
administrators and faculty members. I hope you will make good use of this
resource.
*
You may be interested in viewing the site described for ideas on how to
organize your interactive products/tutorials.
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Learn the Net
http://www.learnthenet.com
Learn the Net is a great site for web novices interested in web publishing,
business, multimedia, or better ways to dig for data. You'll find
interactive tutorials, "ask the expert" forums, FAQs, games and more. Best
of all, the site is well designed, written and organized. Learn the Net
puts a "human faceon cyberspace!"
Grade Level: High School, College, Adult/Professional
Content Area(s): Technology (Internet) [Dewey #600]
Application type(s): Resource
*
National Educational Technology Standards
The NETS are posted at the ISTE Web Site (www.iste.org). I checked to see
if they are in text format, but, at this time, they are only available in
PDF format and may require a bit of time to download. At any rate, I
believe it is important for you to review these standards and reference
them as you are developing Educational Technology curricula for your K-12
schools.
I look forward to hearing how you think the standards address what is
currently being taught in your school.
*
This is just a reminder that you will need to make arrangements for the
videotaping of your presentation of your Assignment 3. A video camera is
available at each site, but you may need to call the appropriate person to
make reservations for the equipment. (Don't forget to take a video tape to
your site on Session 8. I will return the tape to you.)
This is a good time to also review your notes from EM 505 that addresses
color in a presentation. For example, if your product has a background
that is not distinctive from the font color, I will not be able to view it
in your video tape. Also, please be sure to provide commentary on your
product, just as you would provide commentary to students. (Hmmm...if
commentary is necessary for the product, is it really an independent,
interactive product? Should the commentary be worked into the product in
the form of a directional audio clip, or a file, or a student guide in
paper form?)
Be sure that you also review EM 505 notes and text for font/figure size.
Are all students capable of reading 10 or 12 point font on a screen? Does
your product make assumptions about visual abilities?
I hope these questions will help you to consider your product from the
viewpoint of a variety of needs of teachers and students, just as we hope
the commercial producers are evaluating their products before they sell
them to us!
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If you have further questions, please contact Jan Yates.
This FAQ is copyrighted by Jan M. Yates, 1999. All rights reserved.