CONTENT MODULE

Imagination Question: ADST for Grade 7 Students

Justin Wu and Danielle Peters

University of British Columbia

ETEC 565B

July 25, 2017

Below is the link to our interactive ADST course for Grade 7’s.

Click Here: Imagination Quest – A Journey from Space

login: student66b

password: @Student66b

Theme

        Our course design is continually being developed and experimented with the affordances and limitations of Moodle in developing our content module for a Grade 7 course. For Assignment 3, we are specifically developing Unit 5 – Animation: Stop Motion Video, while continuing to incorporate digital technologies in order to provide an engaging, content-driven online course for students. Using anchored instruction, our goal is to provide a form of situated learning, that has a meaningful problem attached to the learning objectives. The Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt describe the anchored approach to instructional design as being “situated in engaging, problem rich environments that allow sustained exploration by students” (1992a). Our goal is to provide an engaging problem-solving context for learners that will anchor their learning. As students are immersed in the problem of returning from Mercury to Earth, they will acquire skills and principles of design that can be utilized outside the classroom.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course:

  • Students will be able to list the steps in making a Stop-Motion animation.
  • Students will use a stop motion technique to create a three-dimensional animation using their 3D printed rocket that tells the story of their journey from Mercury to Earth.
  • Students will be able to define the concepts of: placement, framing, direction, and speed.
  • Students will demonstrate knowledge of iMovie’s editing software and stop motion animation.
  • Students will engage in critical reflective thinking as part of the decision-making and problem-solving process.

Rationale

The unit’s learning objectives are translated into the elements of instructional design to provide a structure for the course, supporting the curricular design. The learning objectives focus on the delivery, integration, and application of the curricular competencies and skills learned, following the BC Curriculum’s “Know-Do-Understand” model (BC Ministry of Education, 2015). The learning objectives also support the necessary formative and summative assessment choices. Assessments will include teacher and student-self assessments, matching the knowledge and skills described in the course’s learning objectives.

The instructional learning design of this course aims to convince students to read and watch the resources provided on Moodle (receive) in order to be prepared for hands-on learning in class, think deeply about the theory and connection to the final project (respond), acknowledge its importance (value), connect the theory with what they already know about design thinking (organize), and apply what the theory has taught them by incorporating it into their communication skill set and final project (characterize) (Witt, 2015).

Functionality

The affordances of Moodle include online collaboration and communication between students. Moodle provides the space for “impromptu encounters” and help students outside of the classroom, allowing for both formal (planned and work-focused) and informal (unplanned and relationship-building) connections (Rubin, 2013). Moodle provides access to resources and video for independent inquiry to ensure students use class time constructively, and get the most out of their face-to-face time with 3D printers and design software. Moodle makes it easy for students to access necessary readings and information, with units clearly separated and learning objectives listed for each week. An LMS that allows all the materials needed in 1 week to be visually grouped on a single page with contiguous placement of all learning elements makes it easier for students to find the materials (Clark and Mayer, 2008). Moodle provides the platform for immediate feedback from the teacher, for both summative and formative assessment. It also allows for private feedback to support student learning and provide goals for improvement. Another affordance is the ability to access Moodle on student devices including iPhones, tablets, and laptops. Students can access resource in and outside of the classroom to support their learning. Lastly, Moodle provides an excellent platform for promoting digital collaboration and communication, thereby allowing students to collaborate in synchronously discussion forums, wikis or chat rooms.

One of the limitations of Moodle is the inability to customize the course layout, colours, and fonts. Another limitation is the time and knowledge needed to operate Moodle, especially for teachers who do not have experience with programming or coding. The last limitation with Moodle is that it is not fully developed to cope with large classes, or efficiently with larger schools. Our Moodle is designed for 30 students at a time, as this course is delivered in a blended form. As more students access the platform, the slower the system becomes. This can be troublesome for students when they are trying to participate in class discussions online or access course resources. A frustration with Moodle is that it can shut down on occasion for repairs and maintenance, blocking the opportunity for students to access to the course. To accommodate this issue, we have attached weekly PDF outlines for students to download, in the event that the LMS platform is inaccessible. Assessment options are limited in Moodle, and there are some restrictions on pages that do not allow administrators to insert content. The lack of human resource and technical support does not support teachers as many may need to be walked through the program.

When designing the instruction and activities of the course, we used a design thinking framework called The Launch Cycle (Spencer, J., & Juliani, A. J., 2016). This design framework corresponds to the module’s learning objectives because it uses a design cycle, reflective of what the students will use when designing their 3D rockets. In the first three steps of this framework, you “Look, listen, and learn, understand the problem, and ask questions” (Spencer, J., & Juliani, A. J., 2016). We looked at our learning objectives and what we wanted our students to be able to master at the completion of this course. We researched which software and technology were most suited for our learners. We incorporated visuals, text, and hands-on activities to meet kinesthetic, auditory, and visual learners needs. Throughout the Launch Cycle, students will used constructionist methods to create a prototype and then launch it to an audience. We wanted to use a framework that had an acronym and visuals for clearer understanding. Each part of the cycle is covered over the one semester course, and students will finish the course with a tangible 3D artifact and Stop Motion video to evidence their learning.

The LMS provides scaffolding with technology-mediated support to learners as they engage in a specific learning task (Sharma & Hannafin, 2007). This provides an optimal learning experience for students because the online resources provided in the LMS will prepare students for in-class, hands-on learning. The LMS encourages students to take ownership of their learning outside of the classroom. Extra resources are provided if students should want to inquire more about a particular topic or interest, for example if they are passionate about animation or 3D printing.

The learning activities designed follow a constructivist style, with collaborative, hands-on learning opportunities for students to construct their own knowledge on applied designs, skills, and technologies. We’ve incorporated weekly discussions on Moodle for students to interact with their peers, share ideas, and give critical feedback for improvement. Students will learn to operate a 3D printer, use TinkerCAD to design and slice, use video technology to create a Stop Motion movie, and learn how to code and program a robot. The learning activities are interconnected, providing a deeper context to follow the storyline of their journey back from Mercury. Students will see the connection between design thinking, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

The Moodle encourages students to take ownership over their learning by providing the resources and discussion platform to prepare them for the in-class learning activities. The instructor will manage and interact on the LMS to provide timely feedback, suggestions, and support. In class, the teacher will act as a facilitator, supporting student learning and helping guide the design process.

“Every assessment, regardless of its purpose, rests on three pillars: a model of how students represent knowledge and develop competence in the domain, tasks or situations that allow one to observe students’ performance, and an interpretation method for drawing inferences from the performance” (NRC, 2001). Teachers have for many years, relied on technology to support their assessment practices; however, most have relied heavily on summative, online objective type based tests and other simulations instead of formative assessments to assess their students’ learning. Moodle’s LMS platform allows the instructor to assess cumulative, quantitative and qualitative information about students’ knowledge and skills, so that instructors can alter their teaching practices.

Formative assessments and digital tools have changed the classroom dynamics and the pedagogy behind learning in the 21st century. Formative assessment is concerned with how judgments about the quality of student responses (performances, pieces, or works) can be used to shape and improve the student’s competence by short-circuiting the randomness and inefficiency of trial-and-error learning” (Sadler, 1989). According to Sadler, a key premise of formative assessments is that the students are able to improve and develop the capacity to monitor the quality of their own work during actual production. Von Glasserfeld (2008) states, “To see it and gain satisfaction from it; one must reflect on one’s own constructs and in the way in which one has put them together”. Students must have an opportunity to engage in deeper thinking and become active participants in their own learning, while educators facilitate the active construction of knowledge and activities in the classroom.

Communication will occur through verbal discussions in the classroom and in collaborative groups. Communication will also occur through Moodle in weekly discussion platforms, as well as formative assessment from the teacher on weekly assignments, Assessments will be provided by the teacher throughout the design process to support student goals and final product. Self-Assessments will also be submitted by the student at the end of each unit. Students will reflect on two things they’ve learned or are proud of, and one thing they want to continue to work on. The 3D print, online Poplet quiz on parts of a 3D printer, Stop Motion film, and weekly discussion posts will be part of the summative assessment.

The choices we made regarding graphic design had our grade 7 students at the centre of our decisions. We didn’t want to provide unnecessary text because we wanted to keep students engaged, as they worked through the readings and videos, in preparation of the hands-on activities in class. Our design is clean theme, with images that connect to the upcoming activities. The LMS is sectioned into 5 separate units, with a clear title, and weekly outlines. Within each unit, students are provided with a weekly outline that will guide them through the week. This is attached within the resource section as a PDF. It is extremely important for students to open the PDF documents to access pedagogically relevant media objects, such as video, audio, and multimedia images. At the beginning of our Moodle construction we considered structuring the course by weeks, rather than units. We decided that this was not user friendly, and switched to a unit layout. The units may cover multiple weeks. We wanted students to spend more time in-class developing ideas and communicating with students, rather than trying to navigate the moodle to find resources from a week back. We felt that units were clear, organized, and most effective. We also used PowToon for an introductory video for students to have a clear idea of the learning objectives and expectations of the course. We felt that a cartoon was engaging and aesthetically pleasing for grade 7 students.

        Our Moodle is licensed under the Creative Commons license, Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. We chose this license because of the ability to remix, tweak, and build upon others ideas. This is specifically important for our work through TinkerCAD and online 3D print sharing platforms. We would like the opportunity for our students to share their work online and support the 3D printing community. The license information is displayed on the homepage. We chose attribution because we want our students to give appropriate credit to designers and indicate if they used parts of their design. With this license, students are free to share and adapt, building upon the material and designs of others.

References:

BC Ministry of Education https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/rethinking-curriculum

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2008). E-Learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer/John Wiley and Sons.

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

National Research Council. 2001. Knowing what students know: The science and design of  educational assessment. Committee on the Foundations of Assessment. Pelligrino, J.,Chudowsky, N., and Glaser, R., eds. Board on Testing and Assessment, Center forEducation. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC:National Academy Press.

Spencer, J., & Juliani, A. J. (2016). LAUNCH: using design thinking to boost creativity and bring out the maker in every student. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.

Paul L. Witt (2015) Pursuing and Measuring Affective Learning Objectives, Communication Education, 64:4, 505-507, DOI: 10.1080/03634523.2015.1064143

Rubin, B., Fernandes, R., & Avgerinou, M. D. (04/01/2013). The internet and higher education: The effects of technology on the community of inquiry and satisfaction with online courses JAI Press.

Sadler, D.R. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems.InstructionalScience, 18, 119-144.

Sharma P. & Hannafin M.J. (2007) Scaffolding in technology-enhanced learning environments. Interactive Learning Environments 15, 27–46.

Von Glasersfeld, E. (2008). Learning as a Constructive Activity. AntiMatters, 2(3), 33-49.Retrieved November 9, 2016, from http://antimatters.org/articles/73/public/73-66-1-PB.pdf