Head in the Cloud; Caught in the Web: Ashford University Portfolio: Discussions

Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology

EDU 648 Teaching & Learning with Technology

Three Fundamental Learning Theories

The three fundamental learning theories include behaviorism, constructivism, and cognitivism. There are a myriad of learning technology tools such as PowerPoint, Wikis, blogs, multimedia presentations, podcasts, and more. Select five learning technologies (try to be unique and choose technologies not yet discussed in the thread) and map the technology to one or more learning theories and describe why. Respond to at least two other students' postings.

Behaviorism

Learning involves strengthening correct responses and weakening of

incorrect responses. Learner is passive receiver of rewards and punishments; Instructor is dispenser of rewards and punishments

Constructivism

Learning involves adding new information to your memory. Learner is passive receiver of information; teacher is dispenser of information.

Cognitivism

Learning involves making sense of the presented material by attending

to relevant information, mentally reorganizing it, and connecting it

with what you already know. Learner is an active sense maker; teacher is a cognitive guide

Webquest = cognitivism

online quiz = behaviorism

Powerpoint = constructivism

Google documents = cognitivism

Virtual classroom = cognitivism

Technology tools such as online quizzes would be considered behaviorist, because the learner is simply rewarded by the teacher for correct answers and punished by the teacher for incorrect answers. Did any learning actually occur? Did the learner in fact know all the correct answers or could some of them have been guesses?

A PowerPoint presentation (or any slideshow) is most likely a constructivist tool because it is normally used to simply add new information to the learner’s memory. The learner is passive; there is probably no interaction with the computer. It’s possible that a slideshow could be followed by the behaviorist technique of basic questions and answers to assess learning.

A webquest represents cognitivism because it involves selecting important information to be used in the task and integrating it with long-term knowledge in order to complete the problem presented in the webquest.

Google Documents can also be used in cognitive learning, because learners can collaborate with each other on a single document. Each learner can select relevant information and integrate it with long-term memory, and then even receive and give feedback to other learners in the group. For example, students might collaborate on an essay, book report, movie review, math problem, or science experiment.

A virtual classroom is similar to Google Documents, in that it involves cognitivism, but at a deeper level. In a virtual classroom the instructor as a cognitive guide is an extra advantage, and learners can collaborate on many assignments and projects, sharing relevant information, rehearsing new information, and integrating all with long-term knowledge as a group.

Can a PowerPoint presentation be created which supports three learning styles?

Learning Styles

The three most common learning styles are

1. visual, in which learners learn through seeing. Visual learners need to see the teacher’s facial expressions and body language to help them understand a lesson. They prefer sitting up front. They often “think” in pictures; they visualize words and phrases. They will learn best from diagrams, illustrations, videos, etc.

2. auditory, in which learners learn through listening. Auditory learners from verbal lectures, discussions, and speeches. They interpret meanings of a lesson by listening to the speaker’s tone of voice, pitch, speed, etc. They need to hear written information.

3. tactile/kinesthetic, in which the learner learns through moving, doing, and touching. Tactile learners learn best with a “hands-on” approach. They must actively explore the world around them. They may find sitting still difficult because they have a need for activity and exploration.

Can a PowerPoint presentation be created which supports each style? How?

Obviously, a PowerPoint could be developed to satisfy the needs of a visual learner because they “think” in pictures. Visual learners prefer seeing images, pictures, colors, maps, tables, and more in order to organize information. Visual learners will use the visual/pictorial channel more than the auditory/verbal channel. So a PowerPoint could be created with little text and many informative, meaningful graphics.

But such a slideshow may not appeal to an auditory learner, who would prefer narration along with the graphical/visual presentation. The auditory learner would even prefer redundant text (both verbal and visual) and such a technique is successful only if no graphics are included. So, will the narration be a distraction to the visual learner? Can one PowerPoint presentation be created which appeals to both visual and auditory learners without distracting one or the other? I think it can. If the concepts of the multimedia principle, the contiguity principle, the modality principle, and the redundancy principle are all used well in the design, both visual and auditory learners should be able to remain engaged and gain knowledge from the presentation. But because some of the aforementioned principles contradict each other, some give-and-take may be necessary. It is good to keep in mind that “less is more” and slides should be orderly and succinct.

What about the tactile learner? In order for a tactile learner to remain engaged with a PowerPoint presentation, an interactive factor would be necessary. Such interaction is possible with PowerPoint, such as clickable navigation buttons, links, and videos. But is that enough to keep the tactile learner engaged? PowerPoint games can be created, and many such PowerPoint templates are available in which the instructor simply enters lesson information into a generic PowerPoint. The tactile student would then be offered much interaction with the slideshow, choosing answers, seeing results, hearing sounds, viewing animations or videos, and more.

But I don’t think that one PowerPoint presentation can be created to satisfy all three learning styles if the audience is a large group as in Design Dilemma #2. It may be possible in a small-group setting, but how can we keep visual, auditory, and tactile learners all engaged in a PowerPoint presented to a large group? If Janice, the PhD student, is correct, then what medium should we use?

My guess is that most people are visual learners, followed by auditory and tactile, respectively. If that is the case, maybe we need to stick with the most common learning style, and do our best to incorporate factors that will increase the learning of those who learn best with the other two styles.

Instructional Design Dilemma #5
You have been tasked to create an online course for your school or business. Your boss tells you that she is concerned that previous courses have provided short-term training with little long-term impact. She states the learners don't develop long-term skills. She tells you that she wants the learners to become better thinkers and asks you to specify five ways your course will improve learner thinking skills. Discuss what you will tell her and why.

Response:

It would seem the learners in the previous courses must have been novices with little or no prior knowledge and/or had low metacognitive skills, the former probably being more likely than the latter. If the courses were mostly learner controlled, that could be contributing to the problem. The learners need to follow a sequence of lessons in which they complete a large amount of practice exercises.
Assuming the courses are for novice learners, the five ways my course would improve learner thinking skills are

1. Use more program control than learner control. If learners in the previous courses were skipping over practice exercises and other pertinent information, then they would not have learned the skills as well.
Program control will be used especially in the early stages of the learning. More learner control could be allowed late in the learning process, as learners will have gained necessary basic knowledge. Also, the learners would need to progress through the course in a pre-designed sequence.

2. In the later stages of the course, even though the students will have more learner control, the default navigation will lead the learner to practice exercises. The only way the learner can bypass the practice is to make a conscious decision to do so by navigating past it. Also, the main navigation will be visible on all screens and will include back and forward buttons and an exit button so users can easily navigate through the lesson. Some type of progress indicator will also be used so learners know where they are at in the lesson/course. Most of these techniques will help prevent cognitive overload.

3. I would include adaptive control in the course, in which the ease or difficulty of practice exercises is adjusted based on learner responses. The previous courses were short-term, and adaptive control would help them to remain that way, saving the company money and other resources because the course could be completed faster than a course with strictly program control.

4. To make employees better thinkers, I would focus problem-solving training of job-specific skills. The training should be focused on metaskills such as goal-setting, planning, and monitoring progress. Real-life cases would need to be developed, and after completion of a case lesson, the learner should be able to compare his or her reasoning with that of an expert. However, his type of training requires much planning and customization prior to designing the lessons. Since designing such lessons is very time-consuming, the cost-effectiveness of the training should be a factor in deciding if it should be used. If the learners are highly paid, the costs of creating such a program may be worthwhile. If the creative skill training is intended for lower-paid employees who need to only learn more general cognitive skills, the case-based training may not be cost effective.

5. The lessons must be designed so that the learners make their reasoning processes clearly expressed and/or demonstrated. Along the way, learners should be monitoring their progress toward their goal, and should be able to work in another direction if they are not moving toward the goal. They need to express their thinking process. Also, a wide range of cases should be used throughout the course to help the learner create a variety of problem-solving skills.

Resource:
Clark, Colvin Ruth and Mayer, Richard "E-Learning and the Science of Instruction" (2008).

The 10 most important things I’ve learned in Teaching and Learning with Technology, and why they are important…

All of the psychology behind e-learning, because without that knowledge, I would not be able to design effective e-learning courses.
The current research in e-learning, because it is important to know that some areas of e-learning have much valid research, but because e-learning is a relatively new form of education, there is much we still don’t know about it.
Mayer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning model, because it appears to be the standard by which course designers develop multimedia/e-learning course.
The principles of multimedia design, because I will have to consider them when designing courses.
That Richard Mayer is probably the foremost expert in multimedia learning, and he may be the person to follow in future research for e-learning.
That learners who have grown up with video games and computer simulations have a whole new set of cognitive skills that have yet to be researched, because we may need to design courses in a new and different way for that generation and for future generations.
The importance of cost effectiveness of e-learning, because any e-learning clients will want the most for their money.
That, ultimately, e-learning and e-learning design will be ever-changing in our fast-moving world, because I must stay informed of new techniques, research, and strategies.
The difference between synchronous and asynchronous courses, because I will need to learn to design both.
That e-learning is useful in both the business and education areas, but that most research has been in the area of business.

Simulation Design Dilemma

You have been tasked to create a six-week online course for your school or company. You have a limited budget and timeframe. Your boss tells you that the most effective way for learners to understand the topic is to integrate a simulation into your training. Your IT staff warns that you may not have time and resources necessary to implement a simulation. Discuss how you would approach and convince your boss to eliminate the simulation requirement or how you would convince him or her to extend your budget and timeframe.

Response:

I would do everything in my power to convince my boss that a simulation should not be integrated into the training, and that it certainly is not the most effective way for learners to understand the topic, for the following reasons:

1. There is simply too much we don’t know about the effectiveness of simulation and games in e-learning due to a lack of research. While techniques do exist that make simulations and games seem more conducive to learning, research proves that traditional learning (lecture, books, presentations, etc.) is effective. Until research can answer the numerous questions that exist about the effectiveness of simulations in e-learning, as well as the best design techniques, it is best to steer clear of them for now.

2. While simulations and games can be motivational and fun, they often depress learning. Due to an overload of working memory, users get caught up in the graphical interface of the simulation/game rather than learning the principles the simulation is designed to teach.

3. With a limited budget and timeframe, a quality simulation is not feasible. There is also not enough research regarding the cost efficiency of simulations. Creating such training could be a waste of time and money if the training doesn’t help to achieve the desired results. The bottom line is that, as the course designer, I would not feel confident, nor would I guarantee, that training with a simulation would be cost effective. I would rather not spend time creating such a course only to find it is ineffective and has to be re-designed.

EDU 649 Technologies for Teaching and Learning

Learning Setting
Please describe the learning setting that you will be using for your final course project (see Technology-based Learning Event instructions).

If you are currently not working in an educational setting, describe a hypothetical learning setting that you will use for the final project.

In your description, include

a profile of your learners,
a physical description of the classroom or online environment, and a
listing of the instructional technologies that are available.

Response:

My final project event will take place in a computer lab with 19 computer stations, arranged in two rows. The stations in each row are next to each other, rather than in front of or behind each other, so the students sit beside each other. The instructor’s desk/computer station is behind the students, giving the teacher full view of all student computer screens. The two rows of student stations are on different levels, with the one closest to the teacher station at floor level, and the next row being elevated and accessed by three steps on the right side of the room. The top row has 10 stations, and the bottom row has nine. The instructor’s computer screen can be shown on a screen in the front of the room via a projector. The teacher’s station is also equipped with speakers. Behind each row of students is a countertop. Each chair can be turned around to face the teacher, and the countertop serves as desk space for them. When the computers are not in use, students can face the teacher for lecture and note-taking, written work, or to listen to instructions. Having the students turn away from their computers helps the instructor to know they are focused on the teacher.

The room is also equipped with a flat-bed scanner on one of the student stations. We also have access to headphones, digital still and video cameras, a tripod, a green screen (in a nearby room), a microphone, a media card reader, and USB and firewire cords for downloading photos and videos. The computers are hard-wired to our school’s network, and students have storage available on the network. Each station has internet access. Students must log in to the network, and a filter helps prevent them from visiting undesirable internet sites.

We try to teach our students with industry-standard software. We use the following programs and suites:

Adobe Creative Suite 4 (Design Premium version)
            Illustrator
            In-Design
            Photoshop
            Flash
            Dreamweaver
            Fireworks
            Acrobat 9 Professional
Adobe Premiere Elements

The learners in my final project event are high school juniors and seniors. About 10 students are normally enrolled in the class, which is called desktop publishing, and includes lessons in print media, web design, animation, and digital video. Students must have completed our basic keyboarding/computer class to enroll, or must show evidence of the skills necessary for the course. The course is an elective, and the students have a wide variety of learning styles and cognitive skills.

Graphic Organizers

I have used graphic organizers in my classes, some of which I have created with Word. I usually give the students printed copies to complete, but on occasion they complete them on a computer. Research shows that graphic organizers “promote comprehension and retention” (Shank, 2007, p. 94), so they are a valuable tool in education. According to Anna Cimochowski, “graphic organizers highlight how ideas are interpreted, help students understand the most important ideas presented, and facilitate the recall of information” (Cimochowski, 2004, p. 11). Also, learners think more deeply when writing notes than they do when highlighting or underlining written material (Cimochowski, 2004). Microsoft Word is easy to use and is often readily available on most computers. If it is not available, other word processing programs, such as the free Google Docs or Open Office, could be used to create table organizers.

I don’t see many cons in using Microsoft Word to create table organizers. Students may need some basic instruction using the program, and (as with all technology) it must be available to students.

Table organizers would be an appropriate learning technology in my learning setting. Because the setting is a computer lab, students will have access to a computer and Microsoft Word. My lesson will include instruction on four basic techniques for graphic design, and a table organizer could be used to list the characteristics of each technique.

Resources

Cimochowski, Anna M., PhD. (2004). Writing across the curriculum series. Retrieved June 8, 2010 from http://intervention.schoolspecialty.com/downloads/research_papers/series/WAC_research.pdf

Shank. (2007). The online learning idea book: 95 proven ways to enhance technology-based and blended

learning. Pfeiffer & Company.

Table Organizer

My learning activity for the final project will be a self-directed, synchronous activity in which students learn the four design principles of contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity; how to identify both good and bad design, and then re-design a poorly designed piece.
Technology/system requirements
Computer with Adobe Illustrator and Microsoft Word
Color Printer
Learning objective(s)
            The student will be able to
                        list characteristics of each design principle.
                        recognize both good and bad design based on the four design principles.
                        identify reasons for good and bad design based on the four design principles.
                        re-design a poorly designed piece following the four design principles.
Any prerequisite(s) or prior knowledge requirements
Students will have already learned the basics of Adobe Illustrator and Microsoft Word.
Students will have already learned the basics of typography and color schemes.
Assessment/evaluation of learning objective
rubric

Study Guide: The Four Design Principles

Read CRAP Design Parts 1-6 and Saying it with Style
Copy and paste each statement below the table into the column for the design principle it is describing.

Proximity	Alignment	Repetition	Contrast

Avoid elements on the page that are merely similar.
Items relating to each other should be grouped close together.
Nothing on the page should be placed there arbitrarily.
You can repeat color, shape, texture, spatial relationships, line thickness, sizes, etc.
This helps organize information and reduces clutter.
This is often the most important visual attraction on the page.
Re-use visual elements of the design throughout the piece.
This helps develop the organization and strengthens the unity.
Every element should have some visual connection with another element on the page.
If the elements (type, color, size, line thickness, shape, space, etc.) are not the same, then make them very different.
This creates a clean, sophisticated, fresh look.
When several items are close to each other, they become one visual unit rather than several separate units.

Technology-based Learning Activities

Browse the technology-based learning activities presented in the textbook (pp. 93-207) and compile a potential list of at least 5 of the activities presented that could be incorporated into your final course project.

1) Table Organizer: I will be using the table organizer I created in week two as part of my final project. I could also make a table organizer in which students look at a piece and rate the use of the four design principles or determine their good or bad use.

2) Peer Editing: My graphic design students will be re-designing a poorly designed piece, and their peers could edit the piece/comment on how well they used the four graphic design principles to improve the piece.

3) An Expert View: Possibly I could contact the author and designer, Robin Williams, who originated the four design principles we use in class.

4) Email the Author: Students could email Robin Williams to discuss the design principles or ask questions.

5) Vowels: I would adapt this activity to have teams describe the four design principles using words that begin with a certain letter.

6) Adapted Classroom Assessment Techniques: I would like to ask the students questions about the main concept they did not understand or have them write a summary describing the four design techniques.

7) Review Puzzles and Games: A crossword puzzle or other games could be used.

8) Animated Flashcards: These could be created to study the design concepts.

9) Drag-and-Drop Self-Check: I would like to have a graphic design “puzzle” in which students would drag elements onto the page to see if they can create a good design. This might be a pre-learning activity the students would do before learning the design principles. I don’t know if it would be self-check, however.

10) Millionaire/PowerPoint Games: These could be used to review and even to identify good and bad design.

Next, list at least one learning objective that will be expected in your final project and then summarize how one of these technology-based activities is appropriate to your final project learning expectation.

One learning objective in my final project is that the student will be able to recognize both good and bad design based on the four design principles of contrast, proximity, alignment, and repetition. I would like to adapt the drag-and-drop self-check activity for this objective. Students would be given a blank page with a grid of lines. Elements for an advertisement or other graphic design piece would be available for dragging and dropping on the page. The elements would include text items and graphics.

Although a page design can vary from one designer to another, this page would have to be set up so that certain elements have to be placed in certain areas. For instance, according the design principles defined by Williams (2003), larger and bolder text would need to be placed nearer the top of the ad than smaller text (contrast). Items that are related would need to be placed close together (proximity). All elements would have to be placed on the page so they align horizontally and/or vertically with another element (alignment).

I’m not sure how or if I could incorporate repetition into the activity.

I don’t think the activity could be a self-check exercise, because some lee-way would need to be given in the design. It may be something I would need to check myself or have the students peer-edit or critique. Therefore, students probably would not receive immediate feedback, as suggested for the drag-and-drop self-check activity (Shank, 2007).

References

Shank, P. (Ed.). (2007). The online learning idea book: 95 proven ways to enhance technology-based and blended learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer & Company.

Williams, R. (2003). The non-designer’s design book (2^nd ed.). Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press.

Brian McLane’s Learning Tool for the Final Course Project

The tool I have chosen for my final course project is CourseLab, an e-learning authoring tool. The product is easy to use, has a WYSIWYG interface which requires no programming knowledge, and can be published in several formats (CourseLab, 2009). This free software is packed with features, and the Web site offers a user forum, tutorials, a user’s guide, and some paid add-ons.

Some of the features listed on the Web site include (CourseLab, 2009):

a familiar PowerPoint-like authoring environment;
a visual tree-like course structure;
thumbnails of all slides and frames within slides;
a visual frame timeline;
an object library;
drag-and-drop object-placing;
simple frame-based animation;
rich media support for pictures, audio, video, Flash®, Shockwave®, and Java®;
ready-to-use module templates;
a scenario feature which enables building complex multi-object interactions; and
the ability to import PowerPoint® presentations into the learning material.

CourseLab also includes built-in testing and assessment tools, interactivity such as mouse-overs, hotspots, text input areas and other form elements, easy action-description language, and the ability to launch applications, documents, and Web sites. In the lesson module’s “play” mode, the user has the ability to drag objects with the mouse. With the optional Screen Capture Pack, e-learning software simulations can be created, and comments and interactions can be added to the screen capture. Objective-based scoring and evaluation tools are available and rules can be defined for grading (CourseLab, 2009).

The learning objectives for my final project are that the student will be able to

list the characteristics of each graphic design principles learned in this lesson;
recognize both good and bad design based on the four principles;
identify reasons for both good and bad design based on the principles; and
re-design a poorly designed piece by applying the four design principles.

CourseLab will be an outstanding tool for constructing my final project in order to meet all of the objectives. I will adopt the program as is to develop my e-learning lesson, which will consist of slides that students will work through to accomplish the objectives.

In the first lesson, students will open the Adobe Illustrator application from within the CourseLab learning module. They will be asked to drag and drop graphic design elements onto a blank page, arranging them in what they believe to be a good layout. The students will then return to the CourseLab learning module for lesson two.

In lesson two, students will access two Web sites which describe the four elements of design. Upon returning to the learning module, the students will open a Microsoft Word table organizer in which they will cut and paste descriptions of the four design principles into the correct column for each principle. This exercise will help them meet the objective for listing the characteristics of the principles. The students will then, as a class, critique their work from lesson one.

In the third and final lesson, students will return to the CourseLab module and open a PDF showing a poorly designed piece. They will also open another Word table organizer to list the problems with the four design principles in the piece. Finally, they will open Adobe Illustrator, and they will re-create the piece, improving upon the poor design based on their findings in the table organizer.

References

CourseLab Web site. (2009). Retrieved June 16, 2010, from http://www.courselab.com/

Personalizing Learning

At first I didn’t know if I could say that learners are best supported by personalization of learning. With all the research and theories regarding learning, who can say that Martinez’s ideas are the best? But the more I read, the more I believed in her research. I certainly support the idea that educators must use “newer approaches that use emotion to fuel motivation, persistence, innovation and achievement” (Shank, 2007, p. 226).

Martinez (The Training Place, 2010) points out that personalized learning is an orientation, rather than a learning style. The difference, she says, is that learning styles point out the cognitive elements of learning while overlooking emotions. Learning orientations recognize the effects of emotions, intentions, and social factors on learning. Learning orientations define the student’s desire to learn.

How, then, do instructional designers incorporate personalized learning into their lessons? They should begin with the Learning Orientation Questionnaire (The Training Place, 2010). The questionnaire identifies four learning orientations:

Transforming
Performing
Conforming
Resistant

A productive method for designing lessons is to use learning orientations to match individualized solutions. Below are descriptions of the four learning orientations (The Training Place, 2010):

Transforming learners prefer loosely structured, flexible mentoring environments that promote challenging goals, discovery, strategies, problem solving, and self-managed learning.

Performing learners prefer semi-structured environments that stimulate personal value and provide details, tasks, processes, and creative interaction (hands-on), not exploration and great effort.

Conforming learners prefer simple, safe, low-learner control, structured environments that help learners achieve comfortable, low-risk learning goals in a linear fashion.

Resistant learners, in contrast to the other three learning orientations, lack a fundamental belief that (1) achieving learning objectives set by others is of any value or worth the effort, (2) they can learn and enjoy achieving goals set by others, or (3) academic learning and achievement can help them achieve personal goals or initiate desired changes. A resistant learner's personal goals strongly conflict with learning goals set by others.

The learning orientations tell us how successfully individuals intend to learn. In order to meet the needs of the first three types of learners, lessons can be created so that the conforming learning environment is a subset of the performing environment, which in turn is a subset of the transforming environment. Learners rarely transform from one orientation to another, so instruction must be individualized based on learning orientations. The Training Place Web site also lists detailed learning strategies and areas for improving the first three learning objectives (The Training Place, 2010):

For transforming learners design discovery-oriented, unsequenced, and mentoring environments. These environments are for learners who want to be passionate, assertive, and challenged by complex problem solving and are able to self-motivate, self-manage, and self-monitor learning and progress to attain high standard, long-term goals.

For performing learners design task- or project-oriented, competitive, and interactive (hands-on) environments. These environments should use coaching, practice, and feedback to encourage and support self-motivation, task solving, self-monitoring progress, and task sequencing, while minimizing the need for extra effort, risk, and difficult standards.

For conforming learners design simple, scaffolded, structured, facilitated, low-risk environments that use explicit, careful guidance to help individuals learn comfortably in an easy, step-wise fashion.

Martinez says that teaching based only on learning styles (cognitive solutions) are no longer adequate. We must have a “whole-person understanding of how individuals want and intend to learn” (The Training Place, 2010). We must also recognize learning differences based on emotions and desire to learn.
Upon studying the research of Martinez, I find that I agree with her belief that how a student intends to learn is equally important (and probably more important) than a student’s learning style. This philosophy of teaching and learning will very likely create more design time for instruction designers, since they must consider all three learning orientations for each lesson.

References

Shank, P. (Ed.). (2007). The online learning idea book: 95 proven ways to enhance technology-based and blended learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer & Company.

The Training Place Web site. (2010). M. Martinez, Ph.D. (Ed.). Retrieved June 22, 2010, from http://www.trainingplace.com/source/research/papers.htm#publications

Content Templates

Review the textbook section on Content Templates (pp. 228-231) and reflect upon your proficiency in using simple learning authoring tools such as MS Word or PowerPoint to construct a content template for your final course project.

Offer recommendations or suggested tutorials to at least two of your peers' postings as to how they can develop or enhance the skills needed to prepare and present learning event content for the final course project.

Response:

I would be very proficient in constructing a content template using tools such as MS Word or PowerPoint. I have a high degree of knowledge in the use of both programs, and I have created many forms and templates in my teaching career.

I would probably create such a template in Microsoft Word, and then use Adobe Acrobat CS4 to convert the template into a PDF form with fillable fields. It would be quick and easy for the content expert to fill in the template. Here is an example of a fillable form I created for my web design class.

As I look at the instructions for this assignment, we are only to reflect on our abilities to construct a template, not actually construct one. So I don’t really know what else to say except that creating a content template seems to be an easy task for me.

As far as recommendations for preparing and presenting learning event content, I would suggest using software such as CourseLab, Moodle, Vyew, or other free content learning management solutions.

Objectives & Assessments

Shank (2005) identified five common mistakes in assessment design and construction. Poorly designed assessments are

· not given enough time and effort by the designer(s).

· not developed immediately after the learning objectives have been created.

· the wrong type of assessment; they do not match the type of learning objective.

· not valid because they do not clearly assess if learning objectives were met.

· poorly written with confusing language or poor answer choices.

Two of these common assessment mistakes I will avoid in my final course project are creating the wrong type of assessments and creating assessments that are invalid because they don’t conclude whether or not the learner has met the objectives. I will focus on those two common mistakes because they seem to be the ones that would do the most damage to my learning objectives.

Shank (2005) categorizes learning objectives as either declarative or procedural. Declarative objectives deal with knowledge of facts and are best assessed with an objective test. While such objectives are important and common, they only measure knowing about the topic. Procedural objectives deal with tasks and how the knowledge is applied in real-world situations.

The learning objectives for my final project are that the student will be able to

· list the characteristics of each of the four graphic design principles learned in the lesson (declarative);

· recognize both good and bad design based on the four principles (declarative);

· identify reasons for both good and bad design based on the principles (declarative); and

· re-design a poorly designed piece by applying the four design principles (procedural).

My first three objectives are declarative and will be assessed with an objective test. The last objective is procedural, and will be assessed with a task.

Resources

Shank, P. (2005). Avoiding assessment mistakes that compromise competence and quality. Learning Solutions, Retrieved from http://www.learningpeaks.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/Avoiding-Assessment-Mistakes.pdf

EDU 651 Collaboration & Learning in a Virtual Environment