The Beginnings of The Force, Using Eliademy
The Basics:
The URL of “May the Force Be With You”: https://eliademy.com/app/a/courses/9f154fbe03
Grade Level: 8-10
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the course students should be able to:
– describe different types of forces (gravitational, friction, elastic, electrostatic, normal) and the effect that each force can have on an object’s motion
– draw free body diagrams and determine the magnitude and direction of the net force on an object
– state Newton’s First Law of Motion and explain how it relates to objects at rest and objects in motion
– state Newton’s Second Law of Motion and explain the relationship between force, mass and acceleration
– state Newton’s Third Law of Motion and give examples of force pairs
This unit of study works well using online delivery. There are a number of videos and simulations available to help students learn, and the structure of Eliademy as well and the assessment and communication tools available allow for (hopefully) an effective and collaborative learning environment.
Introduction
The introductory module of any online course cannot be made in isolation, removed from the content modules. The assessment methods, and course content have be at least part of the outline. Framed using a constructivist model of learning, my course, “May the Force Be With You,” was created using these principles of educational design:
- Anderson’s Four Attributes of Learning (Anderson, 2008a).
– Learner-Centered
– Knowledge Centered
– Assessment Centered
– Community-Centered
- Understanding By Design (McTighe & Wiggins, 2004).
The introductory module is meant to familiarize students with the course requirements, get to know their classmates, and address the first step in constructivist learning, which is activating prior knowledge (Matthews, 2004).
The activation of prior knowledge, part of a learner-centered environment (Anderson, 2008a), is done in 3 ways:
- Through the introductory discussion post. In addition to presenting themselves, students are asked to tell of an experience they’ve had with forces or a moving object. Students are simply meant to tell a story. I don’t expect to see scientific language but it will put them in the mindset of motion and forces. In addition to activating prior knowledge, this also has the purpose of brainstorming ideas for the final assessment where students will have to analyze a moving object.
- Through the use of a pre-test on forces. This is where I will be able to see how much knowledge students have about forces and the vocabulary used to describe forces.
- Through a simple review of assumed knowledge. As mentioned on the “Overview” page, it is assumed students will begin this course with certain knowledge. Reminding students of vocabulary and knowledge already learned is necessary to move them forward in their understanding of forces.
Communication Tools
In an online course, communication between participants and between participants and the instructor is important. The first point of communication is the Eliademy site itself, where important aspects about the course can be found. Hopefully the information about the course that students need to know is easily found and presented clearly and understandably.
I chose to use the discussion feature as it is a way to create both a community centered and knowledge centered learning environment. Collaboration in an online environment is facilitated using the discussion features where students begin discussions and respond to others postings. This collaboration helps promote more deep and meaningful learning in a supportive environment (Matthews, 2004).
Given the age level of participants (grade 8-10), I decided to structure the weekly discussion posts, but also to allow a general forum to allow for any other general questions about the course or assessment. I also posted my email address so individual concerns can be addressed in a private environment, if necessary. I have also been clear about the length of time it may take me to respond.
“Concept mapping has been shown to help learners learn, researchers create new knowledge, administrators to better structure and manage organizations, writers to write, and evaluators assess learning” (Novak & Canas, 2006).
Eliademy does not have a journal or blog feature, so I have decided to use a concept map for students to share their learning with each other at the end of each week. In this way, students will be able to show what they have learned, which may be different from what others have learned, yet still be relevant. Updating the concept map at the end of every week is similar to an exit ticket at the end of a class, so I know if students are learning what is intended, or if I need to address any misconceptions. This facilitates the learner-centered, knowledge-centered and assessment-centered aspects of the course.
Assessment Methods
“…what influenced students most was not the teaching, but the assessment” (Gibbs & Simpson, 2005 p. 4).
An assessment centered environment focuses learning around the assessment. Planning a course beginning with the learning goals and assessment of those goals is also one of the pillars of Understanding by Design (McTighe & Wiggins, 2004). The entire course is structured around the final, summative assessment: to create of a video analyzing the movement of a body (living or non-living), the description of forces acting on the object, and showing Newton’s Laws in action. Meant to answer the guiding question shown at the top of every page, the assessment allows students to put their learning into a real-world context, relevant to them and their interests (learner-centered). It also allows for differentiation, giving students choice, which can be motivational for students. In addition, knowing that their final products will be shared can also help motivate students to perform well (Dougiamas, 1998). To facilitate metacognition, students will also be asked to self-evaluate their projects using the assessment rubric.
Formatively, the weekly assessments will allow students to get timely feedback about their learning progress, from their classmates, the Eliademy multiple choice questions, and the instructor. This feedback is a necessary part of the learning process (Gibbs & Simpson, 2005). The weekly, formative assessments are meant to help promote learning, rather than measure it, which is why students will be allowed to correct and re-do any of the weekly assessments. Also, small, yet frequently assessed tasks tend to generate greater study effort amongst students (Gibbs & Simpson).
Design Elements
Eliademy has a standard design template, so there are not many design elements to consider. Here are some of the choices I made:
- Making the pages look easy to read and engaging is important. The text has been spaced so it is easy to read and the headings have been made larger and a different color for easy recognition. Photos have been placed in the document and text shifted left or right to try and break up the monotony and linearity of the page.
- The photos embedded into the pages, both at the top of and throughout the pages are meant to represent our course and moving objects. The intention is to show photos that might prompt some ideas for their final assessment.
- The guiding question for the course is shown at the top of each page in bold, to remind students of the ultimate learning goal and the question they will answer as part of their final assessment.
- I chose to keep everything in the introductory module on one page and have a longer page to scroll, rather than use sub pages. I realize this is a personal choice, and it may not work for everyone. Personally, I find it easier to scroll up and down a page to find information, rather than click back and forth. The more I click, the more frustrated I become as waiting for a page to load can be irritating, whereas scrolling is more immediate. It also keeps the left menu margin smaller so students have fewer pages to see and navigate through. Perhaps in a future update, Eliademy will allow separate windows on a page for different sections within the same page.
The edit pages in Eliademy are similar to the pages seen by the students. However, it would be nice if Eliademy had a feature to change to student view, as Moodle does. This would allow an instructor the opportunity to make design changes based on how the student views the page.
As McTighe and Wiggins (2004) suggest, the learning goals have been identified and the acceptable evidence (assessment) has been determined. The next phase is planning the learning activities. The structure and framework has been set. The content and specific learning activities will be put into the framework in the next phase.
References
Anderson, T. (2008a). [Towards a theory of online learning]. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and practice of online learning. Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University.
Dougiamas, M. (1998, November). A journey into constructivism. Retrieved March 2, 2015, from https://dougiamas.com/archives/a-journey-into-constructivism/
Gibbs, G., & Simpson, C. (2005). Conditions under which assessment supports student learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 1(1), 3-31.
Matthews, M. R. (1994). Science teaching: The role of history and philosophy of science. New York, NY: Routledge.
McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2004). Understanding by design: Professional development workbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Novak, J. D., & Canas, A. J. (2006). The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct them. Retrieved from http://cmap.ihmc.us/docs/theory-of-concept-maps.php