Last week! Taking the Load Off a Learners Mind

Taking the Load Off a Learner Mind

This article discusses how many learning styles are moving towards more problem, goal based real life learning rather than more abstract concepts.  The article also looks at the other side of the issue, thought, admitting that while this does seem to lend more credibility to the idea of ‘why do I have to learn this,’ it also tends to leave more learners behind as they feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they are expected to sift through, seemingly on their own, with little background or help moving forward.  Because of this, they discuss techniques like scaffolding and sequencing in the learning models.  It allows the learners to receive more guidance and help on the important parts of the task as they move forward through the project, allowing them to ask questions and get more information as they stumble their way through the process.

I wholeheartedly agree with this article.  In my own classroom, we do a lot of project learning, not very many tests.  I have never given my students a project with no background and just told them to go.  There is always a chance for them to ask questions and get help.  It seems irresponsible to me to give students the bare amount of information and then expect them to succeed.

week 7: Frick and Boling ch. 5&6

In the final 2 chapters of the Frick and Boling book, building a web prototype is discussed along with assessing and maintaining the site. 

The article starts off with a list of facts that must be considered: First, the web is on the internet, so if the students can’t get on the internet, they can’t complete a technology assignment.  We, as instructors, have to have access to a server to store our web resources.  Second, the web is based in HTML, but can support other kinds of files.  Third, the web was not designed to be interactive with more than a hyperlink, so writing code will be necessary at some point. 

Once those three are understood, it is possible to move forward into building the actual prototype with limitations and alternatives.  They look at things like natural language dialogues in a classroom and trying to recreate it in a web format.  It looks at things like conference calls and other face to face from a distance ways to interact for a classroom, to try to mimic the natural language flow again. 

The authors move forward from there to give web solutions that don’t need coding—like sharing documents through services like google docs, email, or oncourse formats.  Then, there are always the internal hyperlinks in a document that will lead you to other places as well.  For feedback, going through discussion boards, blogs, blackboard, instant messaging, or instant feedback built into a quizzing feature. 

The last part of this chapter discusses using templates for web development, like we are currently doing in dreamweaver.  It allows faster prototyping, but does have limitations since it is a template. 

In the last chapter, there are important things to test, like bugs.  IF a site is filled with technical errors, no one will want to use it.  Next, make a matrix for the testers so there is a way to see what is expected.  When maintaining the site, there is many things to consider, like updating, administration, design, programming, error logs, links, all the things that irritate a user when they stop working.

For the first chapter of the week, developing the computer prototype, it seemed to be a lot of stuff I have already done, without even thinking about it.  Most seems to be, once again, common sense.  They are also things that I have noticed happening in my everyday life with my students, and ways I already communicate with them.  I did scan a lot of that chapter after I realized that I had already done much of the information contained therein, but as seen in the summary above, I did still gather a ton of information.

On page 108, there is a useful chart that breaks down what the factors of influence can be, the issues that would need to be considered, and what the test needs to be.  As you may tell from my previous blogs, I like charts and having things laid out in a clear, easy to read format.  Again, with the matrix on page 110, it’s a chart—my cup of tea.  The maintenance section is what caught my eye, because that is where I struggle.  Generally, with the projects I have created for this Maters Program, I barely have had time to develop it, much less maintain it later.  There is a couple that I have tried to maintain, but it becomes increasingly difficult as I continue to develop more materials. 

week 7-Frick and Boling Ch. 5 & 6

sorry, this one duplicated

week 6: Merrills What Makes E3 Instruction?

The article is basically an outline of what one university, BYU Hawaii, is trying to do to reach more students by improving quality of instruction and more distance courses.  It also outlines e³ instruction as it relates to the first principles.  The university is trying to get the instruction to become more peer centered, interactive, and technology based/enhanced.  During some brain studies, the researchers developed 2 types of memory learning—associative memory and mental models.  Mental models help the learner remember the information better.  There are many charts in the article that helps to lay out the information in a succinct manner that is easy to understand.  That tends to be a trademark of Merrill in the articles I have read by him. 

There is a chart on page 2 that I think nicely links the first principles with the problem centered approach.  I like the mental models and understand that students learn better that way, as I have seen it take place in my classroom.  I also find it useful to have the problem-centered strategy on page 3, the technology enhanced interface graphics, and effective peer interaction.  It’s great to be able to see all those charts that will walk a novice through the steps to create effective, engaging, and efficient instruction.  There are many teachers (me included) that will find these graphics useful s we move more into technology based curriculum and away from textbook based.  The students I have had previously always tell me that the units they still remember are always the project based lessons, never a textbook lesson.

Making a Paper Prototype

Making a Paper Prototype

SUMMARY

This article begins with a list of possible additional materials you may wish to purchase to use when creating paper prototypes-and what you may need to carry them around in.  They include things like marker, index cards, scissors, and whiteout.  Then, there is a chart that lists the supplies, what you may want to use them for, and notes that explain why they were chosen as important.  Moving on from the ‘good’ list is the ‘bad’ list and why.  These are things like sticky notes, flip paper, rulers, and laminators.  Moving on, there is a discussion of possible backgrounds on the paper prototype.  It includes things like pictures of the operating system of the computer you are using, or the hot links buttons pictures that you plan on using.  Moving on from there, they layout what would happen with drop down boxes and moving screens. 

CRITIQUE

With the listing of the materials, almost all of them are things most teachers keep on hand anyway, so no new information there.  Same with the no go list—most are materials many teachers don’t like to use when working on a project because they aren’t very user friendly.  Once again, no new information there.  Once into the backgrounds, it begins to get a little better.  However, I still feel that this is common sense information.  In addition, is the background of the operating system really necessary as a background on a paper prototype if it doesn’t affect the design?  The pictures here did help to understand that they were just drawn on for the purpose of getting a more generally layout, but I wouldn’t be using it as a background just to have it be more accurate.  Only the buttons I would be adding into my project for my projects’ use would be added.  Once the topics move on to where drop down menus would go and the purpose they serve, it begins to make a little more sense on creating a paper prototype.  It allows the creator to see exactly what would happen when clicked on, making sure they keep the menus in the same order each time. 

This article had a hard time keeping my interest.  I really do understand the need for a computer based prototype, but even after reading this and the one from last week, I just don’t see the need for a full paper based one.  Yes, there are some screens that I draw out, but that is for more of a general template to be sure all my pages look the same later without having to move between screens…not to layout my entire project.

Frick and Boling Chapters 3 and 4-Prototypes

Preparing for Testing and testing a Prototype

Boling and Frick bring up three important questions right off the bat—is the instruction effective, are the students satisfied, and is the product usable?  Next, they provide a student learning chart that gives a before and after of the student to see if learning has occurred.  They move on to what needs to be done to test the prototype by first teaching it the old fashioned way and finding those more knowledgeable to see if the beginning information is correct.  Moving on, creating a paper prototype, or layout of what you want the site to look like, then testing.  If the learner can’t figure out the site on paper, there isn’t much of a chance once there are more interactions in a live site.   Frick and Boling also incorporate the 5 principles of design when designing the website.  Then, they come to assessment, carefully not using the word test…assessment doesn’t have to be a test as much as a show and tell.  Finally, they talk about the Big Three—all starting with the word authentic.  What would be the point of testing something that wouldn’t have authentic outcomes?

I think the second two questions directly relate to the first—wouldn’t you use satisfaction and usability to measure whether or not the instruction was effective?  This lends itself nicely to the next step of seeing the before and after of a student.  Seems like common sense, that if the student didn’t know the information before, but they do now, then the instruction as at least partially effective, or at least it wasn’t damaging to the student who learned on their own.  It also seems like common sense to me to layout what you want your site to look like prior to starting the design.  It would be comparable to making a cake that you have not followed any sort of recipe for and then hoping it comes out correctly.  Not likely, because even if you have baked a cake before, and now do it from memory, it still is a recipe.

I agree with the benefits of computer prototyping, more so than paper prototyping for the testing phase.  I compare it to reading about how to ride a bike and then actually riding it…not really effective until it is really tried in a situation. 

Finally, I really liked the cartoons toward the end.  It gave a light air to the topic and lets us see what they envision as a prototype without having to just sit and read it.  The graphics make it more engaging.

Mager's Instructional Objectives

Mager clearly lays out information on instructional objectives by answering the questions every teacher must answer: why do we have to? He claims “when clearly defined objectives are lacking, there is no sound basis for the selection or designing of instructional materials, content, or methods.”  He succinctly states that if you don’t know where you are going, you can’t know how to get there.  The objective needs to say who needs to do what.  It then continues to break down the differences between overt and covert performances.  He goes a step further here and outlines ways to practice determining overt and covert behaviors.  Adding to that, he wants a degree of performance that allows both the instructor and learners to know how well they must perform the objective in order to be considered proficient in terms of things like time limits, accuracy, and quality of the final product.  He finally ends with giving a couple pages of don’ts.  There are many ‘falses’ that can be committed in instructional objectives.  Mager lays out each one and gives examples to help steer the designer in the right direction.

Following in line with the Frick and Boling book, Mager follows along and helps design instructional objectives.  Since I already have a book by Mager on Instructional Design, this did not contain new knowledge for me.  However, I do like having this article in a more condensed, digital version on my Kindle.  It makes it easier to refer to when I have it at the tip of my fingers both on my Kindle and my iPhone.  This article did provide new information in the form of the ‘falses’ of instructional objectives.  When reading through many of those, I found some that I have used in the past and I didn’t realize it was something I shouldn’t do.  Will definitely use those more in the future as I continue to develop my own objectives in my projects.

Frick & Boling's Effective Web Instruction chapters 1 and 2

In Effective Web Instruction, Frick and Boling have put together a guidebook for the novice web design that reads like a cliffs notes book.  They go through step by step instructions on how to start an effective web instruction voyage, beginning with finding your objectives and working with stakeholders.  There is a diagram at the beginning of the book that nicely lays out in a visual aspect the way one would go about designing the instruction.  The authors add in examples and real-life scenarios to help the reader move forward.  In addition, the authors give other resources for perusal to help the reader get a better understanding.  These chapters focused more on getting an analysis for the development rather than the development itself.

Frick and Boling have put together a comprehensive, yet easy to understand guide to finding objectives that will help the designer get started on the right foot.  The diagram at the beginning of the book has now been saved on my desktop as an important file that I will want to refer back to many times as I move into the individual project soon.  I also greatly appreciated the scenarios given in the book to assist in creating objectives.  I have always struggled in this area and having examples set forth for me that I can tailor to meet my needs in very helpful.  I look forward to being able to delve more into this book each week so that I can gain more examples and expertise like the ones listed in this book.  Having been in a class with both Dr. Frick and Dr. Boling, I appreciate having a more succinct, condensed version of their knowledge.