~Initial+Brainstorming

= **NOTE: THIS PAGE IS NOT PART OF OUR ONLINE COURSE. IT WAS USED FOR INITIAL BRAINSTORMING ** = = = =Our MSTU4050 Project=

Lessons Ideas

 * Physics applets with associated lesson plans (link)
 * Physics motion (link1) (link2)
 * Math - Lines (link)
 * Math - Mean/Median/Mode (link)
 * Geogebra applets (link)
 * Economics - International Trading (link)
 * Economics - Comparative Advantage ([|link])
 * Economics - Supply and Demand (link)
 * Economics - Economy simulation (link)
 * Economics - Running a country simulation (link)
 * Economics - Miscellaneous links (link)
 * Miscellaneous - Coffee shop game (link)


 * Vectors Math link1 link2 )
 * Wolfram with mathematica player (link ) - Wolfram is an amazing resource, but might be too involved with the plug-in.
 * Various Math applets (link ) - Not pretty, but still interactive
 * Parallel Lines and Angles (link
 * Probability - coin toss (link ) dispel the gambler's fallacy...
 * Statistics - (link ) - college level, but visualizations can be used by younger groups
 * Trigonometry (link )
 * Physics - planetary motion (link link2 )
 * I liked these, but they were from a publisher... link
 * //**not sure why it is expanding the links...**//

Project Action Items

 * What is the Big Idea and essential questions of the lesson (ala Wiggins & McTighe)?
 * What are the lesson goals?
 * Provide student expectations
 * Gagne instructional design model for the lesson - see flowchart (link)
 * Plotnick (1997) calls a development model a flowchart structure with a series of related instructional activities. We chose to use Gagne's model in a flowchart form.
 * Design prerequisite skill check for student (sandbox activity, technical skills, content knowledge)
 * how to gauge student background knowledge (including person interest and learning styles)?
 * need activity for students who don't have sufficient background knowledge
 * Design prerequisite skill check for teacher (content, online pedagogy)
 * maybe simple recognition, recall, or comprehensions (from Complexity of interactions table)
 * How will students collaborate?
 * what tools will they use?
 * how to foster collaboration?
 * work together on problem (students get same problem, but different data)
 * compare results with other students
 * critique others' results
 * create problems for other students
 * How will students and teachers collaborate?
 * what tools will they use?
 * how much help should they provide?
 * how will that interaction be shared?
 * How to assess student?
 * need self-check mechanism so students know when they are ready to be assessed
 * grade on accuracy of simulation results or rubric?
 * how to prevent cheating?
 * Multi-modal activities
 * Voicethread, podcasts, or screen cams
 * blog or wiki
 * new simulation design - not implementation, but design
 * End of lesson activities
 * student feedback (survey or reflection)
 * teacher feedback (survey or reflection)
 * how will we know the course worked as good or better than current teaching of curriculum?
 * We need to address typical challenges for teachers teaching an online course
 * responding and managing discussion boards
 * monitoring student progress
 * engaging students without a personal connection

Reading tidbits

 * We chose small digital components because they are easy to change as better simulations become available and new technologies emerge
 * Shulman 1986) says that some teachers focus on //pedagogical knowledge// (teaching ho to teach), while others focus on //content knowledge// (subject matter). Teachers should focus on both and our simulation addresses both.
 * Ferdig (Ch4 reading, pg 50) argues that "the best practices for teaching literacy online is not related to a single formula, but rather, to the flexibility of the teacher and the learning environment." We tried to build flexibility into our lesson, rather than "teacher proof" it.
 * Our lesson embodies a Constructivist approach that helps "students actively construct knowledge through engaging activities and projects that students help direct." (CH4 reading, pg 51)
 * Beer, Slack, and Armitt (2005), as well as Robles and Braathen (2002), who urged online instructors to become proficient in group work dynamics and engaging their students in both synchronous and asynchronous communication. [Gaytan, J., and McEwen, B., Effective Online Instructional Assessment Strategies, The American Journal of Distance Education, 21(3), 117-132, 2007]
 * Student assessment conducted solely for accountability reasons does not necessarily lead to learning. Educators must establish the purpose of assessment, the criteria becing measured, and the intended outcomes before meaningful assessment methods can be achieved (Gaytan, 2002) [Gaytan, J., and McEwen, B., Effective Online Instructional Assessment Strategies, The American Journal of Distance Education, 21(3), 117-132, 2007]
 * The purpose of an educational experience is to achieve defined learning outcomes. In this context, interaction must be more structured and systematic. High levels of interaction me be reflective of group cohesion, but it does not directly create cognitive develop or facilitate meaningful learning and understanding. [Garrison, D., Cleveland-Innes, M., Facilitating Cognitive Presence in Online Learning: Interaction is Not Enough, The American Journal of Distance Education, 19(3), 133-148, 2005]

Miscellaneous

 * Complexity of interaction (CH2-pg28)
 * simple recognition (true/false)
 * recall (fill-in, free recall, matching)
 * comprehension (multiple choice, substitution paraphrase, short answer)
 * problem-solving (simulations or modeling)
 * knowledge construction (project-based outcomes, research, products from creative activities)
 * Elements of a quality online course for reviewing course when completed (CH2-pg29)
 * interaction
 * easy access
 * ease of use
 * clear objectives
 * course syllabus
 * measurable objectives
 * quality evaluation
 * outline of time management
 * estimated time for each activity
 * effective virtual reality/simulations for real-life skills
 * links and resources
 * current and relevant content
 * multiple modalities
 * engaging and robust curriculum
 * choices
 * prerequisites
 * student access
 * audience-appropriate material
 * timely feedback
 * tech help desk/human contact
 * learning resources (web libraries)
 * built-in monitoring systems (self-checks)
 * links to student services (tutorials, writing labs, etc)
 * layered content
 * student authenticity/academic integrity
 * student evaluations/feedback on course
 * Strategies to Establish and Maintain Social Presence (Encyclopedia of Distance and Online Learning)
 * Course Design
 * develop welcome messages
 * include student profiles
 * incorporate audio
 * limit class size
 * structure collaborative learning activities
 * Instructors
 * contribute to discussion boards
 * promptly answer e-mail
 * provide frequent feedback
 * strike up a conversation
 * share personal stories and experiences
 * use humor
 * use emoticons
 * address students by name
 * allow student options for addressing the instructor
 * Participants
 * contribute to discussion boards
 * promptly answer e-mail
 * strike up a conversation
 * share personal stories and experiences
 * use humor
 * use emoticons
 * use appropriate titles