Preservice Module #3: Creating Online Resources.

Introduction

In the first module, we looked at the Evergreen Curriculum as the source, or beginning point, for unit planning. The Evergreen Curriculum provides curriculum guides and support documents for all of Saskatchewan's courses. Regardless of where you find units of study or individual lesson plans, you must ensure that you are teaching to the foundational and learning objectives in the Saskatchewan curriculum guides found in print copy, or electronically through the Evergreen Curriculum.

The second module addressed how we access and assess online resources. Once you have identified foundational or learning objectives and selected instructional activities, the next task is to locate and authenticate resources to help you achieve your goals and objectives. In an online environment, the key to integrating quality resources is assessment. There are thousands of excellent resources to support any unit of study, any theme, or any topic. However, integrating quality resources is a time-intensive, often frustrating process that is fraught with many inappropriate or poor quality websites.

We move now to the third module, the use of online websites and resources to support instruction and creating online resources. There are a number of approaches to organizing for instruction, including topical (e.g., atoms, families, dinosaurs, 2 digit multiplication, body systems), thematic (e.g., Fall, transportation, relationships, culture) and problem-solving (How do clouds form?; Why do things fall to earth?; Why does England have the best soccer players in the world?). This third module completes the process of locating, assessing and using online resources through the creation of Internet Resource packages to support a topical or thematic approach, or the creation of a WebQuest to support a problem solving approach. So what is a WebQuest?

A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet. WebQuests are among the most fascinating applications on the Web for K-12 educators. Student-centered and inquiry-based, a WebQuest challenges students to explore the web for information. Most WebQuests include the links that are appropriate for students to research as well as suggestions for further research. WebQuests are generally constructed around a scenario of interest to students. Traditionally WebQuests have an introduction, a process, a task, a list of resources, a conclusion, and an evaluation.

Task

At the completion of this module you should be able to answer the following questions:

  1. What are some approaches to organizing for instruction?
  2. How can multimedia be used in teaching and learning?
  3. What online resources exist to support my chosen topic or theme?
  4. What is a WebQuest?
  5. What are the 5 categories of instructional strategies proposed by Saskatchewan Learning?
  6. What instructional methods correlate with each of the five instructional strategies?
  7. How can I create a hot list?

You have a choice of two tasks for this module: (1) to create an Internet Resources Package of websites to support either a topical or thematic approach to organizing for instruction; or (2) to create a WebQuest on a topic of your choosing.

Process:

Before we begin discovering and discussing different types of multimedia that can be used in education, we need to get a bit more familiar with some of the terminology that is used to describe the different types:

applet - An application that has limited features, requires limited memory resources, and is usually portable between operating systems. (http://www.dictionary.com)

animation - the creation of artificial moving images. (http://www.dictionary.com)

simulation - Imitation or representation, as of a potential situation or in experimental testing. Representation of the operation or features of one process or system through the use of another: computer simulation of an in-flight emergency. (http://www.dictionary.com)

learning object - a relatively new term that is used to describe the teaching of a concept (or series of concepts) by breaking it down into manageable sections. These sections can be used together or separately as the user sees fit.

multimedia - The combined use of media, such as movies, music, lighting, CD-ROM's, and the Internet, as for education or entertainment. (http://www.dictionary.com)

These terms are often used interchangeably to describe different types of educational materials (and very often incorrectly). For example it is not uncommon to find a learning object that has a number of applets made up of a series of animations that simulate specific situations.

There are a number of articles that have been written about the use of these types of learning tools in the classroom and their impact on learning. The following website/article is just one of many that illustrates and helps us to understand what they are and how they can be used and what they can accomplish. While the articles are a bit long, they are worth the read.

We can begin by using some of our recently acquired search skills and go to our favourite web browser and entering terms like "animations", "simulations", "video clips" along with the subject that we are looking for. You will find that depending upon the search engine that you choose to use and the topic that you are looking for you will be able to find some pretty good material this way.

Some examples of what you will find are here:

  1. On-line virtual frog dissection or pig dissection.
  2. A simulation of flocking in fish.
  3. A site that offers a look above and below the ocean at a protected wildlife refuge called Race Rocks in the San Juan Islands.
  4. A site that has some good Interactive Math activities.

Many educational organizations and institution both in Saskatchewan and around the world have begun to work together to collect, categorize and store learning objects in order to make them more accessible to the general public. These collections are often referred to as repositories and while some are open to the general public, many require registration with the host in order to gain access. The following are a number of repositories:

  1. A database of web sites that have been reviewed and recommended by Saskatchewan educators can be accessed at http://elara.sasked.gov.sk.ca/cgi-bin/urldb/urlsearch. These web sites are resources for specific topics in the curriculum.
  2. Saskatchewan Learning Central iSchool features web-based resources including online courses, modules and units of study.
  3. Large educational websites compiled by Saskatoon East School Division.
  4. The iTeacherED resource section.

Hot Lists

Spurl, Furl, del.icio.us, and Jots are examples of hot lists or social bookmark managers. Please set up a Jots.com account. A Jots account allows you to keep bookmarks of your favorite sites at a remote location which can be accessed from any location on the Internet. Using Jots has several advantages for teachers which include: accessing your bookmarks from anywhere, sharing your bookmarks with others (Jots is a social bookmark manager), being able to see what others have bookmarked and being able to subscribe to others' bookmark lists using XML.

Activity

  1. Select a topic or theme.
  2. Choose one of the two options: Internet Resources package or WebQuest.
  3. If you are gathering resources to support a topical or thematic approach to instruction, it is recommended that you review the samples provided in the Resources section of this module. Using the resources provided in the Resources section as a starting point, begin the process of locating, assessing and collating the websites into a Word document. Save the document.
  4. If you are creating a WebQuest, it is suggested that you review The WebQuest Page (also listed in the Resources section). Using the resources provided in the Resources section as a starting point, begin the process of locating, assessing and collating the websites into a WebQuest. Save the WebQuest.
  5. Save the completed Internet Resources Package or WebQuest. It will be posted to your website in Module 5.
  6. Set up a Jots.com account. This will be posted to your website in Module 5.

Resources

Making Connections: Instructional Strategies

Decision making regarding instructional strategies requires teachers to focus on curriculum, the prior experiences and knowledge of students, learner interests, student learning styles, and the developmental levels of the learner. Such decision making relies on ongoing student assessment that is linked to learning objectives and processes.

Although instructional strategies can be categorized, the distinctions are not always clear-cut. For example, a teacher may provide information through the lecture method (from the direct instruction strategy) while using an interpretive method to ask students to determine the significance of information that was presented (from the indirect instruction strategy).

Five categories of instructional strategies and the interrelationship between and among strategies are illustrated in Figure 4. Explanations of the five categories follow.

Collage of the 5 instructional strategies, showing them all connected in a circle.

Direct Instruction

The Direct instruction strategy is highly teacher-directed and is among the most commonly used. This strategy includes methods such as lecture, didactic questioning, explicit teaching, practice and drill, and demonstrations.

The direct instruction strategy is effective for providing information or developing step-by-step skills. This strategy also works well for introducing other teaching methods, or actively involving students in knowledge construction.

Indirect Instruction

Inquiry, induction, problem solving, decision making, and discovery are terms that are sometimes used interchangeably to describe indirect instruction. In contrast to the direct instruction strategy, indirect instruction is mainly student-centred, although the two strategies can complement each other. Examples of indirect instruction methods include reflective discussion, concept formation, concept attainment, cloze procedure, problem solving, and guided inquiry.

Indirect instruction seeks a high level of student involvement in observing, investigating, drawing inferences from data, or forming hypotheses. It takes advantage of students' interest and curiosity, often encouraging them to generate alternatives or solve problems. It is flexible in that it frees students to explore diverse possibilities and reduces the fear associated with the possibility of giving incorrect answers. Indirect instruction also fosters creativity and the development of interpersonal skills and abilities. Students often achieve a better understanding of the material and ideas under study and develop the ability to draw on these understandings.

Interactive Instruction

Interactive instruction relies heavily on discussion and sharing among participants. Seaman and Fellenz (1989) suggest that discussion and sharing provide learners with opportunities to "react to the ideas, experience, insights, and knowledge of the teacher or of peer learners and to generate alternative ways of thinking and feeling" (p. 119). Students can learn from peers and teachers to develop social skills and abilities, to organize their thoughts, and to develop rational arguments.

The interactive instruction strategy allows for a range of groupings and interactive methods. These may include total class discussions, small group discussions or projects, or student pairs or triads working on assignments together. It is important for the teacher to outline the topic, the amount of discussion time, the composition and size of the groups, and reporting or sharing techniques. Interactive instruction requires the refinement of observation, listening, interpersonal, and intervention skills and abilities by both teacher and students.

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is inductive, learner centred, and activity oriented. Personalized reflection about an experience and the formulation of plans to apply [earnings to other contexts are critical factors in effective experiential learning. Experiential learning occurs when learners:

Experiential learning can be viewed as a cycle consisting of five phases, all of which are necessary:

Independent Study

For the purposes of this document, independent study refers to the range of instructional methods which are purposefully provided to foster the development of individual student initiative, self-reliance, and self-improvement. While independent study may be initiated by student or teacher, the focus here will be on planned independent study by students under the guidance or supervision of a classroom teacher. In addition, independent study can include learning in partnership with another individual or as part of a small group.

Independent study encourages students to take responsibility for planning and pacing their own learning. Independent study can be used in conjunction with other methods, or it can be used as the single instructional strategy for an entire unit. The factors of student maturity and independence are obviously important to the teacher's planning.

Source: Saskatchewan Learning, Instructional Models, Strategies, Methods, And Skills, Instructional Approaches: A Framework for Professional Practice

Critical Thinking: Online resources...what's the point?

"I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand." - Confucius

What implications does this ancient Chinese proverb have for education in the 21st century? What implications, in particular, does this proverb have for online education?