The Jaspers materials were created to address the lack of meaningful problem-solving opportunities that students were being provided within Math classes. It was gathered that classrooms activities were not offering students the chance to connect Math to other subjects and the outside world, and were too close-ended. Jaspers, carefully designed videos, were created to engage students in multi-step problem-solving Math problems. Each video was carefully crafted to grab the students attention and then give them a chance to find answers to the questions posed through collaboration and critical thinking. The questions being asked were open-ended and had more than one possible solution allowing students at all ability level to access them. Furthermore, students were solving the problems in small groups which helped them build their understanding by learning with and through their peers.
The Jaspers materials are consistent with the constructivist learning theory, a theory that many educators have adopted in recent years and is being seen as best-practice in many contexts. In a constructivist classroom, students are not simple told information that they are expected to remember, instead, they construct their own understandings through hands-on learning experiences where they are can apply their knowledge and practice problem-solving strategies. They were shown to have a number of positive effects when used in the classroom such as high math achievement and increased motivation (Hickey et al. 2001).
There are currently a number of available resources that have similar features and goals of Jaspers materials. Kahn Academy, for instance, is a free resource that teachers can access to find online tutorials and videos where students are posed similar questions and can interact with online materials. It provides a platform that is accessible everyone and promotes problem-solving and critical thinking. Through resources like these teachers do less front-loading and give students a chance to explore and come to conclusions on their own.
One thing for us to be mindful of, though, is that these resources are just one item out of a number of different tools that we can utilize in the classroom to promote transdisciplinary learning, problem-solving, etc. While they can engage students in meaningful experiences, students should still be given a diverse number of learning opportunities outside videos such as Jaspers and modern ones today.
References:
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.
Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992b). The Jasper series as an example of anchored instruction: Theory, program, description, and assessment data. Educational Psychologist, 27(3), 291-315
Hickey, D.T., Moore, A. L. & Pellegrin, J.W. (2001). The motivational and academic consequences of elementary mathematics environments: Do constructivist innovations and reforms make a difference? American Educational Research Journal, 38(3), 611-652
Hi Sarah,
I like your statement “While they can engage students in meaningful experiences, students should still be given a diverse number of learning opportunities outside videos such as Jaspers and modern ones today.” The Jasper series is great, it provides hands-on learning, students construct their own knowledge, utilizes problem-thinking skills, etc. and although it is a great tool for students, it will not be a tool that is beneficial to all students. Educators should make sure that what they are implementing is useful for their learners even though on the outside it may look like it’s a perfect solution. I have used Khan Academy and my students really enjoy it but it is not the perfect solution, there should be additional teaching to that. I say this because in my current school, there are some educators who use Khan Academy or another resource (math apps) and that is it. They do not teach alongside this resource and many of those students come to me for additional support and they are confused and frustrated. One should weigh the pros and cons to ensure that students are being kept at the forefront of learning.
Hi Sarah,
I liked reading your post. I can see myself agreeing with the most of the arguments you have made above. Although, in the end, you suggested that students should be given opportunities for learning through different means of teaching. I am curious what those other methods may look like. I am wondering whether you mean that if a child does not prefer learning with technology, does that mean we offer him/ her a piece of paper and pen or are there other options for this student. I am just thinking out loud here and wondering what you had in mind when you were writing the post.
GK
Hi Gursimran,
I think that in any classroom you need to have a balanced way that you deliver the curriculum. In the PYP we have four levels of inquiry that we use throughout teaching a new concept; structured (student follows the lead of the teacher) controlled (teacher chooses topics and the resources students use to answer questions), guided (teacher chooses topics, but students have free choice on how to find a solution) and free (students choose their own topics). The Jaspers videos would be an example of guided inquiry as they are an open-ended resource that is selected by the teacher, but the students have a choice in how they are answering the questions. While students are learning, practicing and applying a new concept you want to make sure that you also engage them in a structured inquiry where you frond-load essential information and address misunderstandings as well as controlled inquiry where you have them solve questions using specific tools and strategies that you want them to explore.
I hope this answers your question!
Regards,
Sarah
Hi Sarah
I like the fact that you tied the Jaspers materials with the constructivist learning theory.
I wonder if students constructing their own understandings via hands-on activities is the fastest/efficient way to learn?
A good next step might be to see how long students retain the information or is it the process of problem-solving the idea…so if the same problem comes up in the future — they will have a process to solve it?
Christopher