Assessment for eLearning - Week 3

JigSaw Activities

I like the theory behind jigsaw activities, and am trying to find ways to incorporate it into my lessons online in a way that doesn't seem forced or artificial. I am considering altering my unit on types of information sources, where students will describe to each other each of the types of sources and their benefits and drawback, rather than just reading descriptions from me. The hardest part of moving toward JigSaw is finding articles and resources for students to use, outside of the written lecture I had already created, particularly because my course focuses on learning how to do research appropriately, I don't want to send them out on a wild goose chase without guidance.

Concept Mapping

I have used concept mapping with students in the past as a way to brainstorm ideas for topics for research, and as a way to organize information they find. I really liked the idea of the "fill in the blank" concept map for class notes. Again, I am thinking about my Information Sources unit. I want to have students create a concept map of the benefits, drawbacks and location of the information sources, that they can later use as a resource when they are doing research. I am contemplating having them add a piece that forces them to analyze the information presented about information sources, and synthesize it by asking them what types of research questions would benefit most from the source types.

Learning Objectives

"The choice of a verb is all-important here. Such frequently used terms as know, understand, grasp, and appreciate do not meet this requirement." (NERC) Well, guess I have been doing that wrong all along! Of course learning objectives need to be observable and measurable! How I missed this is beyond me. Perhaps it is because I never had a course that looked so closely at learning objectives, perhaps its because I never paid attention to learning objectives, or perhaps its because I wasn't ready to grasp them yet. It makes it SO much easier to design activities and assessments when the objectives are clear.

NERC. (2007, January 17). Guide to writing learning objectives. Retrieved March 17, 2014, from http://www.nerc.com/files/Instructional_guide_writing_Objectives.pdf

Bonk

Dr. Curtis Bonk should be evaluated for his ability to see in to the future! Wow, some of his predictions really struck me! What follows are my reactions to some of the predictions Bonk made in 2003:

“Electronic Books. An e-book is text that has been digitised and perhaps re-purposed for various uses. It is often made available online or on CD...Electronic book vendors include Metatext from Xanadu, Books24x7, Questia, and ebrary.” (6) - CD! This makes me think back to the information literacy standards that asked that student know how to find and operate a database on CDRom! There are now so many eBook vendors, libraries and publishers are having a hard time figuring out licensing agreements and where to turn next. 

“In addition to simulations, online games will soon help learners review content in a fun way, including games embedded in cell phones and wristwatches that can be downloaded from university Web sites.” (10) Who wears a wrist watch anymore, but boy did hit hit it with the games embedded on cell phones. 

“Flash animations are becoming an increasingly powerful and cost effective way to illustrate current events.” (7) - And then, the iPad and iPhone killed Flash... 

“There are an assortment of tools and technologies emerging for learner collaboration (Bonk, 2002). In addition to music sharing, peer-to-peer tools might help learners share content, resources, and ideas. Of course, many will conclude that such technologies pose a significant dilemma for students since they can lead to increased course cheating and plagiarism.” (9) - This is the argument that the district I live in is using to not go Google. The board president believes that the better alternative would be to purchase each student a flash drive to bring work back and forth from home (you know, along with viruses, and losing it, and just trading them back and forth to copy assignments....), this will surely help to cut down on plagiarism. How about assignments that do not lend themselves to plagiarism?

“While sales of Tablet PCs account for just 1 percent of the portable computing market today, by 2007, they might account for more than 20 percent (Wired News, 2003).” (10) Okay, so he was a little off, but after the iPad was introduced in 2010, they certainly took off. Now, in 2014, the prediction is that Tablet PCs will take up 50% of the market (which also includes Desktop PCs and Laptops). Can you remember a world without Tablet PCs?

“Videos of well known scholars from workshops, conferences, or special institutes might be made available for others to watch.” (10) - Hello YouTube, MOOCs and iTunes U!
“In addition to computer workstations, such software will certainly enhance mobile technologies such as mobile telephones, handheld computers, and personal digital assistants.” (10) - Welcome Siri, voice activated assistance with sass.

References

Bonk, C. (2004, June). The Perfect E-Storm emerging technology, enormous learner demand, enhanced pedagogy, and erased budgets.

Tablets to make up 50% of PC market in 2014. (2013, November). Retrieved March 16, 2014, from http://www.canalys.com/newsroom/tablets-make-50-pc-market-2014

And...after all that blabbering....my concept map of my information sources unit:

Best viewed when you can zoom in on the original