Computers in Education
Class Discussions (15% of grade)
Interaction is a very important part of learning, and it is especially integral to this course. Notice that 15% of your grade is determined by discussion participation. I'll be looking for you to make significant contributions to the discussion every week. Participation that contributes to positive grade results in this area does the following:
- Ties personal experiences to the concepts we are studying, giving an orderly, brief version of the experience, with a point that is stated clearly.
- Avoids repeating in a different form, points made by others.
- Shows evidence of having completed, understood and applied the readings.
- Incorporates ideas shared by others and the instructor to create a “fuller picture” of the concept under review.
- Poses real-life questions or challenges that spring from the discussion material and attempts to shape an “informed” conclusion.
A copy of the assessment rubric for this activity can be found on the course site under the Assignments icon.
Educational Software Review
Individually or in small groups you will review an educational software package of choice. A viable software selection will meet the following criteria:
- Can be used to augment or replace lessons/modules offered in a traditional classroom
- Meet at least one state teaching standard
- Provides a sample product or limited use full product that can be accessed online or downloaded for testing and demonstration purposes
As a portion of the review process a formal report should be developed which addresses all of the questions noted in the “Software Review Fact Sheet”. Each question on the assessment sheet should be addresses thoroughly and where appropriate supporting evidence provided. There is no minimum or maximum length of the software assessment, the artifact will be graded on completeness and depth of thought. The document is due the session you will be making your presentation, and should be submitted in electronic form.
A copy of the “Software Review Fact Sheet” can be found under the Assignment icon on the course site.Educational Software Demonstration
All students are required to demonstrate the software package they selected for the software review to the class. As a portion of this activity all presenters should:
- Note how the product can be integrated into the learning environment
- Discuss the learning curve associated with mastering the product by teachers and students
- Identify the age group and subject/discipline the product would be most appropriate for
- Discuss product adoption and costs
- Field questions from the audience
Reviews will take place weeks 4, 6, 10, and 13.
Multimedia Lesson
This is the learning lab portion of the course. You will be putting into action what you have learned, in fact, it may even be a project you need for school. You may also choose to develop a project in pairs, in small groups or as an entire class. You must, however, obtain approval for your idea before proceeding. Your team and glimmering idea -- Project Plan Approval -- should be presented week 3.
A. Project Plan (10%) . Due Week 3, this is a simple plan which should identify:
- team members
- target population
- project deliverables
- tools or software product to be utilized
- possible risks and dependencies
B. Needs Analysis (15%) . Due week 6, this should be presented in about 2-3 pages and should include the following:
- Identify a learning need.
- Describe your target population and any special considerations (ex. Literacy level, developmental level, learning readiness).
- What are your overall curricular goals?
- What teaching/learning theory is guiding your project?
- What learning standards are addressed ?
C. Concept Map (15%). Due week 7, development and assessment guidelines for this portion of the project can be found under the Assignments icon on the course site.
D. Develop the lesson (50%). Due week 14. Since it is difficult to put quantitative parameters on a project such as this, we will negotiate what is expected. Depending on the number of members a collaborative team has, the scope of the project, the approach, we will contract what will be produced. The final product will be presented to the class for review and feedback.
E. Evaluate the lesson (10%). Due week 14. Your lesson should include some sort of outcome evaluation measures and results, and your own self-evaluation.
- Formative or summative evaluation - how will you/did you measure learning? (Example: A test? A paper?)
- Process evaluation - feedback from students on the course. Develop a course evaluation form ("smile sheet").
- Self evaluation - what did you learn about yourself in this context of teaching? Would you change anything for next time?
Address these in a 1 page summary to be emailed (jmajor@midsolutions.org) by week 14.
