ETEC 565A – 66B
Learning Technologies: Selection, Design and Application
Assignment #2: Introduction Module for Science in English
Craig Murrell
Submitted to: Tatiana Bourlova
University of British Columbia
Masters in Educational Technology
Word Count: 1999
MOODLE SITE LINK
http://moodle.met.ubc.ca/course/view.php?id=695
Organizational Context
This course is based on a real course with some very specific considerations. It is part of the Super Science High School advanced placement program at my school. The Science in English course is composed of two classes of about 25 students in each class, all are native Japanese speakers. The English level varies from CEFR A2 through to CEFR B2 in level (North, 2005). The course only has 16 lessons in a year, as they conducted only on “Special Saturday” lesson dates. The course normally does not provide assessment, as it is an “elective” type class, but for the purposes of this assignment, both formative and summative assessment is provided.
For a more complete examination of the specific course considerations, a complete analysis of the Primary Components of a Course for Significant Learning was drafted in accordance with the guidelines presented by Fink (2005). To access this analysis, click here.
Course Objectives
The course will be a blended-delivery format, with readings, videos and short presentation-style lessons delivered to the students via the LMS. Students are required to view the materials, and complete any assignments included in the material prior to attending class. Students are also required to upload work to the LMS periodically for review by the teachers and other students. Class time is used for student-centered active-learning type activities.
Prior to classes, class notes and supplementary information will be distributed via the LMS to students so that they can become familiar with the content of the lesson. This may include some Japanese references to prepare the students for the topic in English. Additionally, much of the lesson material will be saved and uploaded to the student server in a suitable format for offline review of material.
The students will also be introduced to the technique of Concept Mapping. A concept map is a graphical representation of the relationship among terms. As students are introduced to new science concepts, they embark on a cognitive process of constructing meaning by integrating these new concepts into their existing knowledge. Concept maps provide a unique graphical view of how students organize, connect, and synthesize information. As a result, concept mapping offers benefits to both students and teachers.
Finally, the Capstone Project for the course is for students to design and conduct their own experiment in groups. Every aspect of the experimental design will be developed by students, and the experiment will be conducted by students. Finally, after data collection and analysis are complete, students will present their findings and conclusions in both a poster format and a presentation style format (either keynote or as a video) in English. Students will take part in a science exchange program by visiting their sister school in Germany, where they will present their findings to students and teachers in English.
Learning Objectives
- Students will design and conduct an experiment, in a small group, by:
- asking a testable question,
- forming a hypothesis,
- designing the method and procedures to test the hypothesis, including exercising control over the variables involved, and
- collecting and analyzing their data, using appropriate tools and methods.
- Students will conduct document analysis to add evidence, to support arguments, to inquire into the history of the research on the topic.
- Students will collaborate in small groups to design, conduct and present their research by:
- Designing and developing a presentation poster in English, outlining their experiment, results and conclusions.
- Creating a 5-minute video in English, that presents their experiment, results and conclusions.
- Presenting their experiment and poster, in person, using English, to a group of German science students.
- Mapping concepts and relationships of their research using CMap tools.
- Students will participate in instructor-driven experiments during class time.
Course Outline
| Module 1 – What is science? | ||
| Goals/Lessons | Activities | Assignments |
| Introduce the syllabus | ||
| LMS introduction | Upload Introduction Video | |
| Lesson #1: The Floating Soda Can Activity | ||
| Collaborate on creating a glossary | course glossary | |
| Lesson #2: Grandma’s Baked Bread Activity | ||
| Basic steps in the scientific method. | Complete Introduction Worksheet | |
| Lesson #3: Experimental Design Lab | GROUP PROJECT: Experimental Design | |
| Engage in discussions, including offering suggestions and opinions, on the scientific writing of peers | Comment on group projects | |
| Module 2 – The world of science | ||
| Goals | Activities | Assignments |
| Selected contributions to science | ||
| Lesson #4: Using Google and Wikipedia | ||
| The fields of science – an overview | Comment on your peer’s reviews | Student review of a scientist |
| Lesson #5: Using Cmap Tools | Design a concept map | |
| Lesson #6: Shortlisting Research Topics | Comment on student lists | Submit your short list of research ideas |
| Learn how self-assessment and reflection can help you to learn | course glossary | Self-assessment and Reflection #1 |
| Module 3 – The language of science | ||
| Goals | Activities | Assignments |
| Units of measurement and lab apparatus | ||
| Lesson #7: Research and Design Lab #1 | Work period | |
| Greek and Latin roots and prefixes | Comment on your favorite Greek or Latin words | |
| Scientific writing | Writing jigsaw puzzle and crossword | |
| Lesson #8: Research and Design Lab #2 | Work period | |
| Module 4 – From data collection to conclusion | ||
| Goals | Activities | Assignments |
| Data collection methods | Submit your research outline | |
| Lesson #9: Data in Action Lab | ||
| Methods of analysis | course glossary | |
| Lesson #10: Writing The Experiment | ||
| Writing your conclusion | Self-assessment and Reflection #2 | |
| Lesson #11: Research Lab #1 | Work period | |
| Module 5 – Capstone Project | ||
| Goals | Activities | Assignments |
| Methods of Presentation | course glossary | |
| Lesson #12: Research Lab #2 | Work period | |
| Lesson #13: Research Lab #3 | Work period | Poster Submission |
| Lesson #14: Research Lab #4 | Work period | Presentation Submission |
| Lesson #15: Presentation! | Class presentation | Upload your abstract |
| Reflect on your classmate’s work | Post 5 comments on your classmates abstract | |
| Lesson #16: Final Class | Final preparation for trip to Germany | |
| Post-trip Summary | Contribute to class trip forum | Reflect on your trip |
Designing the Course
I wanted to design a course that could extend the learning opportunities for the students, as well as allow the limited class time to be used for purely active-learning type lessons. To guide me in designing a course that can do this, I found the work of Fink (2005) to be tremendously helpful. This course was developed with this framework in mind, starting with the backwards design principles of putting the learning goals first, and designing the assessment practices to fit the goals of the course. Fink’s (2005) forward-looking assessment principles were strictly followed in the design of the assessment in this course. Wherever possible, I tried to incorporate “exercises, questions and/or problems that create real-life context for a given issue, problem, or decision to be addressed.” (p.13). My ultimate goal is to create students who see the world through the eyes of an experienced experimenter… they see testable questions and variables and constants in everything they look at because they have had their education rooted in the real-life context provided by the course. Finally, Bates’ (2014) ADDIE model was also consulted in the design of this course.
Selecting the LMS
Moodle was chosen for many reasons. Moodle has excellent networking and social media integration, with a default mobile-compatible interface for learning anytime, anywhere (Moodle, 2017). This is important because our students all are required to have iPads, and they utilize them exclusively for coursework. Our school network is also occasionally overtaxed, depending on the number of students connected to a given router at any time. For this reason, preference was given to a mobile-friendly LMS as this might minimize connection issues.
Moodle also has integrated blogs, wikis, and other tools, which minimize barriers for student-student and student-instructor interactions. Moodle is also widely regarded as a secure LMS (Moodle, 2017) that is capable of responding quickly with patches and upgrades due to the dedicated community of partners and developers that are part of this open-source platform.
Pedagogical Rationale
This course was completely structured around the principle of interactive learning (Fink, 2005), also known as active-learning. To achieve this, a constructivist design pedagogy has guided my curriculum and course design. One of the critical assumptions behind constructivism is that learners will restructure their own ideas to form new knowledge. Novodvorsky (1997) has, in my opinion, the best and most complete description of the factors involved in constructivist learning. Also of note, Novak & Cañas (2008) discussed the seminal work of Ausubel and identified the very important distinction he made between rote learning and meaningful learning. Additionally, Kober (1993) points out that: “For the activity to be effective, teachers must link it with specific science concepts and allow ample time for analysis, interpretation, and classroom discussion.” This course attempts to follow the principles described by the above authors.
To accomplish this with such a limited number of lessons in a year (only 16), an LMS was chosen to support a blended delivery format. The LMS must support tools that allow for significant transformation of the curriculum through modification and redefinition, as outlined by the SAMR Model of Puentedura (2010).
One way to achieve this transformation is to utilize a social constructivist platform as detailed by Vygotsky where he describes learning as “a socio-cultural mediated and collaborative process that occurs through interactions and sharing with others” (Ciampa, 2013, p.93). To accomplish this collaborative process, the lessons will be conducted in small group active-learning activities. Additionally, the LMS will be utilized to encourage student-student interaction in the course material through the use of discussion forums, which will be administered like a course-wide blog. Students will be required to submit blog posts and video blog posts throughout the course, as well as being required to comment on other student’s posts.
For second-language learners, video blogs serve another transformative pedagogical purpose. I seek to enhance the students’ English language acquisition through the use of video blogs. Hsu et al.’s research
(as cited in Aydin, 2014, p.248) noted improved oral performance in English language learners when using multimedia blogs. Research indicates that blogging can significantly improve students’ writing performance and their ability to monitor their own writing, all while increasing their level of motivation and attitude towards writing (Aydin, 2014). Ahluwalia et al. (2011) suggests that students show increased motivation when asked to perform tasks that students interpret as meaningful, which supports a task-based approach. Finally, Poling (2005) reported that classroom blogging led to deeper and more meaningful interactions among students. In the same study, it was revealed that a collaborative blog connecting students of different classes offered exciting experiences for learners. I plan on connecting the two classes together through the discussion forums by having shared forums for every topic. It is my hope that this leads to greater discussion in my learners.
Navigational Structure and Design Elements
Due to the use of iPads by learners, as well as an already overtaxed WiFi in our school, all attempts will be made to limit the amount of graphical and bandwidth-heavy elements to ensure smooth classroom performance. Additionally, some of our students live in very rural areas, where the WiFi is not so reliable (some students do not have WiFi at home). Finally, because they are second language learners of English, it is advisable to design all navigation elements using text only. This allows students to copy text into an online dictionary if they become lost in the navigation. Graphical elements do not work as well for this purpose. To aid in this goal, the site has been designed with the 5 modules laid out in linear fashion, so make it easier for Japanese learners to navigate.
Finally, the goal of the site is to provide the scaffolding necessary for students to engage in student-student learning opportunities. Additionally, the LMS is designed to serve as a platform for blogging and asynchronous discussion.
Instructor’s Role and Assessment
As has been mentioned earlier, this course is a blended delivery courses with heavy constructivist design elements. This relegates the instructor to presenting material though the LMS, and using class time for plenary feedback of student activities. Each student will be individually evaluated by assignments and activities, as well as receiving a score through group projects, and oral presentations.
References
Ahluwalia, G., Gupta, D. & Aggarwal, D. (2011). The use of blogs in English language learning: A study of student perceptions. Profile, 13 (2), p.29-41.
Aydin, S. (2014). The use of blogs in learning English as a foreign language. Mevlana International Journal of Education, 4 (1), 244-259.
Bates, T. (2014). Teaching in a digital age, Chapter 4: The ADDIE model. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/chapter/6-5-the-addie-model/
Chickering, A. W., & Ehrmann, S., C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 49(2), 3-6.
Ciampa, K. (2013). Learning in a mobile age: An investigation of student motivation. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 30(1), 82–96.
Fink, L. Dee (2005). A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. Retrieved from https://www.deefinkandassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf
Kober, N. (1993). What we know about science teaching and learning. Washington, DC: Council for Educational Development and Research.
North, B. (2005, May). The CEFR levels and descriptor scales. In Multilingualism and assessment: Achieving transparency, assuring quality, sustaining diversity. Proceedings of the ALTE Berlin Conference (pp. 21-66).
Novak, J. D., & Cañas, A. J. (2008). The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct and use them. Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Pensacola Fl, http://cmap.ihmc.us/docs/theory-of-concept-maps
Novodvorsky, I. (1997). Constructing a deeper understanding. The Physics Teacher, 35, 242-245.
Poling, C. (2005). Blog on: Building communication and collaboration among staff and students. Learning & Leading with Technology, 32(6), 12-15.
Puentedura, R. (2010). SAMR and TPCK: Intro to advanced practice. Retrieved February 12, 2013.