engaging – ETEC 533 E-folio

Weeks Six and Seven: TELE 1 – Jasper and WISE

The first two examples in the design of technology-enhanced learning experiences (TELE) section of this course are the Jasper series and the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE).

Jasper came first after years of research on anchored instruction from the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (CTGV), Nashville, Tennessee. Anchored instruction as defined by CTGV uses problem rich environments with engaging instruction to allow sustained exploration by students and teachers (CTGV, 1992). They built the Jasper series in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s to incorporate the four dimensions of effective learning environments often referred to as the How People Learn Framework. The dimensions of effective learning environments are; knowledge centred, learner centred, assessment centred and community centred. (Pellegrino and Brophy, 2008). The Jasper series also incorporates generative activities and cooperative learning situations.

Jasper is a static based delivery via videodisc. This would have been innovative at the time with all of the information provided electronically on one disc. The story based approach is engaging for the students as they need to gather the information needed to solve the problems. They may need to go over the story several times to filter out what is needed and to find missing pieces. The problem with Jasper is it is based on the current technology of the time, video on a fixed disc that was not intended to be updated easily. Today with the rapid updates and interactivity of the Web 2.0 Internet, Jasper is destined to be left on the disc rack as an important historical artifact in the development of technology enhanced learning experiences.

WISE was developed in the late 1990’ and early 2000’s as a web based inquiry system that provides a flexible and adaptive learning environment. In addition, WISE is research based and technology enhanced that can be customized to changes in school contexts and curriculum standards. This system embraces many inquiry based practices including engagement of students with diagnosing problems, critiquing experiments, planning investigations, searching for information and debating with peers.(Linn, Clark and Slotta, 2003).

WISE was developed 10 years after Jasper and was developed as the Internet came of age. WISE is based on an Learning Management System like platform. Thus it is Internet based and can be constantly updated and customized as needed. Although Jasper is rarely used today, WISE has the potential to live on as long as the developers continue to support it.

I enjoyed working through the examples from both Jasper and WISE and compared to how I was exposed to my science education in high school, college and university, these two are much more engaging and interesting. Hopefully they have and will continue to foster scientific inquiry in students in middle and high school that will encourage them to continue these interests into STEM education at the post-secondary level.

Learn more about Jasper and WISE on the Design Page.

References:

Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992). The Jasper experiment: An exploration of issues in learning and instructional design. Educational Technology, Research and Development, 40(1), 65-80.

Linn, M., Clark, D., & Slotta, J. (2003). Wise design for knowledge integration. Science Education, 87(4), 517-538.

Pellegrino, J.W. & Brophy, S. (2008). From cognitive theory to instructional practice: Technology and the evolution of anchored instruction. In Ifenthaler, Pirney-Dunner, & J.M. Spector (Eds.) Understanding models for learning and instruction, New York: Springer Science + Business Media, pp. 277-303

Early lessons from this course.

The first 10 days of the course moved very quickly from introductions to our early experiences with digital technology, conceptional challenges, unpacking assumptions and finally examining video cases to help flesh out our perspectives of what and how educational technology can be used in math and science classrooms, and any classroom. I posted my thoughts on each of these topics to the course discussion board and I further benefited by reading my colleagues postings, their comments to my postings and my comments to their postings. More details on my postings for these subjects are presented in the “Framing” page of this blog.

Introductions:

In the introductions, I discovered that I may be the lone post-secondary administrator voice in the course (hopefully not a lone voice in the wilderness!) as the majority of my colleagues are K-12 teachers. This is familiar territory for me in the MET program, and I will present a totally different perspective to my colleagues throughout the course. I trust they will listen and understand this view as I always look at a students’ journey from K through 12 to post-secondary to graduation and employment.

Auto e-ography:

My early experiences with digital technology go back to the early 1970’s when I was given an electronic calculator; a real game changer compared to my older brother who made it through high school with a slide rule. I experimented with many different technologies over the years as they appeared and they have all been integrated into our everyday lives to the point that we don’t think of them as technology, but as tools and widgets. This was a great exercise to spend some time thinking about these early experiences and to present them as an auto e-ography

Conceptional Challenges:

Conceptional challenges are something that I had never thought of previously as being important. But as I went through the course resources, read the postings from my colleagues and started to reflect on my own situation, I realized that yes there are a lot of challenges out there that people have related to math and science that are important to identify and to talk about. For me as a Geographer, I soon realized the conceptional challenges around maps and how they are used to portray the round earth were important to identify.

Unpacking Assumptions:

In the unpacking assumptions exercise, I was able to quickly identify a few examples based on my post-secondary experience to illustrate what I think are good uses of technology in the math and science classroom. My initial thoughts are to not get caught up in the WOW factor and use it just because we can and feel that we need to use technology just because we are teaching in a math, science or technology course or program. I like to recommend to instructors to consider using technology in situations where they struggle to get difficult concepts across to students. Also from a practical post-secondary perspective, to consider using technologies that are applicable and relevant that the jobs graduates will be moving into.

Video Case Analysis:

Clickers and calculators are a couple of basic technologies that I looked at in two of the cases. Both teachers/instructors were very confident in their use of these technologies and to the benefits to the students. Both of these technologies helped tremendously with the engagement of the students and the teacher/instructor in the classroom. I felt these tools helped challenge conceptions that math is not relevant and lecture format is boring and not engaging.

Onto week three and at home interviews.