Digital Module (36%)

Modules are free-standing, self-contained and comprehensive instructional packages, meaning that

basically everything that the student needs is in the module. Whereas a unit is directed by the teacher and

may involve the use of modules, a module provides for self-direction, or self-paced learning of a realm of

content. In the late 1980s and through the 1990s, modules became immensely popular in England and

Scotland in a context of "flexible learning," educators' response to flexible economics. One proponent of

modularity referred to this proliferation in higher education as "The Container Revolution," reflected in the

700+ modules at Oxford Polytechnic. Modules are currently a world-wide phenomenon and the preferred

containers for distance education via the world wide web. Instructional designers established the basic

form of modules was in the 1970s (Figure 1). Modules are extremely important for anyone interested in

the development of digital learning resources and online education. Most schools are moving toward

mixed modes of teaching, which invariably involves the use of digital modules. The details of a digital

module format are provided in the box below. The modules in ETEC 531 follow this format.

Module

Objectives

Pre-Test

Rationale

Interactivities

Post-Test

Resources

Attitudes

Knowledge

Skills

Quiz

Discussion

Prior Learning

Assessment

Relevance

Justifications

Activities

Multimedia

Problems

Assessment

Links

Projections

Figure 1. Schematic of Module

Digital Module

Design a module to introduce grade 11-12 students or young adults (17-30) to a theme or topic in cultural

and new media studies. Design the module specifically for grades 4-7 or 11-12. A module is a freestanding,

self-contained and comprehensive instructional package, meaning that basically everything that

the student needs is in the module. The module should last 5 one-hour days and should encompass

attitudinal, skill and cognitive dimensions. In other words, the module should involve ecological-natural,

ethical-personal, existential-spiritual, socio-political and technical-empirical dimensions of technology.

This is a group project (3 students per team).

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Module Format: *Length: 20-30 pages of digital copy (if pages were printed)

1. Objectives- State what the students will learn from the module (attitudes, knowledge and skills).

2. Pre-test- Provide a quiz for the students to create dissonance between what they know, do not

know and will learn in the module.

3. Rationale- Provide a clear statement on why this module is important and relevant.

4. Interactivities- Create audiovisual, hypertextual or rich media pathways for the students to

complete the module.

5. Post-test- Provide a quiz for the students to test whether they learned what was in the module.

6. Resources- Provide a list and description of resources for students to explore the topic in more

depth.

Digital Module Submission

When the cybergroup is ready to submit the Digital Module, simply assign a group member to post a note,

with a backup of your Digital Module, through the dropbox. Remember to annotate all of your links with

an image of the destination URL; include a maximum of 12-15 links per module.

Digital Module

Substance and Media sophistication…

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1. Content: Is the module substantial? Is it sufficiently "critical"? Is it sufficiently

descriptive? Are conceptual frameworks used with sufficient depth?

2. Comprehensiveness: Is the topic covered in a comprehensive way? Is there more

to it than the sum of the parts? Are effective and sufficient examples provided?

3. Communication Structure: Is a conceptual framework in the module evident?

How well do sound, text and images work together? How effectively does the

media communicate? Is there a theme? Is there a message to the media?

4. Media Convergence: Does the production take advantage of a range of media

technologies? Are media (image, text, sound) integrated? Is essential form and

substance obscured by other features?

5. Interactivity: How “interactive” is the module? Are navigational aids and options

made clear? Is the module easy to “get around” from one point to another, and

back to points of origin? How device “independent” is the module? Are pages kept

to a manageable length?

6. Hypermedia or multimedia: Does the module take advantage of available

navigational and multimedia? Are tables and sub-headings used where

appropriate? Is essential information obscured by “bells and whistles” or other

features? Do pages load quickly?

7. Visual Impact: Does the module raise questions? Was there some risk-taking in

content? Is there something left to work with, after it's all said and done?

Visual Style: Is the composition of the media based on principles of audio and

visual design? Is the style sharp, clean and together? Is the style consistent across

the duration but within a range of possibilities? Was there some risk-taking in the

module overall?

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