Anchored instruction “refers to instruction in which the material to be learned is presented in the context of an authentic event that serves to anchor or situate the material and, further, allows it to be examined from multiple perspectives.” (Barab, 2000)
The concept behind the Jasper Woodbury Problem Solving Series is rooted in this idea of providing a relevant context for seemingly abstract mathematical concepts. Jasper is also designed to set the stage for subsequent project-based learning. I think these videos can be a great way of solving the problem of visualizing abstract problems. Essentially what I gathered form watching the videos though is that they were identical to most math textbooks I have seen only put in the form of a video. In my experience presenting math problems such as the headwind and tailwind problems to students the struggle isn’t with visualization but more rooted in the inability to think critically behind the information. Many students or educators have an intuitive critical thinking skill set but there are a large number of students who need to be encouraged and taught explicitly to use critical thinking skills. This in my opinion is something that is missing from the Jasper series.
My question would be: Is Jasper just the same type of problem in a textbook presented in a different form of media or is there something educationally transforming about these videos?
References:
Barab,S.A. K. E. Hay & T.M. Duffy (2000), Grounded Constructions and How Technology Can Help, CRLT Technical Report No. 12-00, The Center for Research on Learning and Technologyn, Indiana University.
Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1992). The Jasper series as an example of anchored instruction: Theory, program description and assessment data. Educational Psychologist, 27, 291-315.