Content Proposal
E-Learning and At-Risk Learners
EDM-665 On Line Course Development
EDM-613 Media Asset Creation
Education Media Design & Technology MS Program
Full Sail University
Prepared by:
LaQuita Monique Liles
March 6, 2010
I. THESIS ABSTRACT
Teachers in the classrooms of today face a gauntlet of challenges on a daily basis. When that classroom is a self-contained special education classroom, the obstacles to meeting state standards and realizing the goal of student achievement for all may seem insurmountable. The current focus on high stakes testing of all students, including students with disabilities facing educational challenges, combined with teacher furloughs, budget cuts, unmotivated students, and cuts in teacher planning time make the goal of reaching high standards in every classroom look bleak. This paper will allow readers to examine key technologies that can assist in educating America’s students and improving educational outcomes for even the most challenged students.
II. Introduction
Problem Addressed
The problem addressed in my thesis is how to provide a quality education to all students, especially those students that are not well served by the traditional K-12 public school model. The need addressed is the incorporation of e-learning into traditional K-12 public schools. A blended learning approach encompassing e-learning courses and social networking tools in a revised version of the traditional classroom is proposed in my thesis.
This media project supports the use of e-learning courses in the traditional K-12 classroom with students at risk of school failure and drop out. The media presentation is an e-learning course created in Udutu. This will be presented as an example of a course that can be used with students to enhance classroom learning by providing background information to support classroom lessons. This course can also be used as a stand -alone history course or learning module to support individual student learning plans.
Students in special and gifted education programs are required by law to have individual education plans, or IEPs that provide them with a free and appropriate public education. This task is made much easier with e-learning tools such as Udutu and web 2.0 technologies. Although not legally required, online schools such as Georgia Cyber Academy also provide individual education plans and content designed to meet individual student needs. This feature is one of the reasons online schools are very popular.
Target Audience
The project is designed for students in grades 6-12. It is an example of a course that can provide background information to supplement classroom instruction. The course can also stand-alone. The project is a course entitled Understanding the Civil Rights Movement that was created with the Udutu course authoring tool.
Sharing the project
The media project has been shared on Facebook via the Udutu Teach and Learn applications. I have also had students take the course and provide feedback on the design, elements, and content in the course. I plan to share the final course via Moodle and other LMS applications.
III. Goals and Objectives
Instructional Goal
The media project is entitled Understanding the Civil Rights Movement. After taking the course the student will understand the basis for the social conditions that lead to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The student will gain knowledge of the major events and people that took part in this historic period in United States history.
This course serves as a vehicle for the dissemination of background information critical to the understanding of the Civil Rights Movement in U.S. history. This course bridges the gap between the knowledge of basic facts and points of view to higher order critical thinking about the concepts of civil rights and the role historic events that have played in the shaping of America.
Learners often come into the classroom with varying levels of prior knowledge and readiness to address the topics that must be mastered within the school prescribed curriculum. E-learning courses can provide much needed background information to a few students who need it, or the whole class as a refresher course. In addition, e-learning courses can engage learners and be tailored to the specific needs of each learner with the addition or removal of specific modules and information within the course. The main goal of this media project is to provide an example or mock up of an e-learning course to support the premise of my thesis; which is that e-learning can be used to enhance learning outcomes for students at risk of failure in the traditional K-12 academic setting.
Learning Domain
The learning domains that this project fits into are cognitive and affective. This project addresses the cognitive domain by providing the knowledge and framework necessary for understanding U.S. history. This course is a self-directed course in which students can maneuver throughout the course as they please. This design fosters student independence and allows the student to become comfortable with the e-learning environment, facilitating a successful course outcome.
The affective domain pertains to a growth in feelings and emotions. This project allows digital natives to learn in a manner conducive to their needs. In addition, this project allows students to work at their own pace. It also provides a failure free learning environment. All of these elements promote positive growth in feelings and emotions towards school; increasing the engagement of the reluctant and unmotivated learner. In this way, e-learning can provide a positive school experience for many students at risk of school failure.
Learning Objectives
The learner will:
1) Be able to articulate the relationship between slavery and the resulting social disenfranchisement of African Americans that lead to the Civil Rights Movement;
2) identify some of the major events of the Civil Rights Movement;
3) identify some of the individuals that took a leadership role in the Civil Rights Movement;
4) identify and conduct independent research about individuals and events related to the Civil Rights Movement that are important to them;
5) create a time line listing important dates during the Civil Rights Era in U.S. history.
IV. Presentation
Instructional Approach
I am using the constructivist learning theory. This theory is applied in my media project because the media project allows for self -directed learning by the student. In addition, the student creates a self-directed timeline and research on an area of interest to them within the framework of the Civil Rights Movement. The students will construct their own knowledge of important events and people in the Civil Rights Movement based on their own prior knowledge, as well as what they choose to create in forms of a timeline and additional research.
According to a report by Civic Enterprises (Bridgeland, DiIulio, & Morrison, 2006), many students are citing lack of engagement and interest in classes as a major reason for dropping out of school. Individualized and engaging education of the type provided in e-learning could improve outcomes for many of these students.
Many students at risk of school failure have been diagnosed with conditions such as ADHD. According to Dr. Daniel Amen (1998), people with ADHD suffer from a condition that arises from the prefrontal cortex region of the brain. One of the prescriptions he provides for this condition is engaging and exciting work. A boring job is inviting trouble for people with this condition, as they will seek to self-stimulate which leads to rule breaking and trouble for them. This information can be directly applied to the classroom setting. When students are bored and not engaged at school, the likelihood of them engaging themselves in troublesome pursuits in an effort to entertain themselves increases. Providing well designed and engaging e-learning and individualized education programs can improve school and learning outcomes for these students.
Finally, most students in K-12 classrooms in the United States today are digital natives (Jukes, 2004). This means that they have grown up using technology, the internet, and social networking tools, and expect to be able to use these tools while they learn in the classroom. Relegating digital native students to old and antiquated modes of teaching is alienating them and placing them at risk for school failure.
Lesson Structure
The content is presented in the form of an e-learning course. Although students can move around and begin with any module that they wish, the course is organized with a beginning, middle, and end. The course begins on the introduction page with learning objectives for the course. The introduction is followed by the first module, which discusses the relationship between slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. The next module introduces the major events of the period. The final module discusses the important people of the era.
Each module ends with an interactive quiz. The first quiz follows the slavery and Civil Rights module. This quiz is a multiple-choice quiz. The quizzes that follow the next two modules are interactive matching quizzes. The students must match the terms with the people and events that they describe. Next, the course ends with a wequest that challenges the student to create a Civil Rights timeline and engage in further research on the Civil Rights Movement. Finally, the last page of the course includes a link to some games that will test student knowledge of concepts that they learned during the course.
V. Evaluation
The assessments mentioned previously are designed to test learner knowledge of the content. Students can take the quizzes as many times as necessary until they pass. The objective is that students feel free to learn via trial and error without the stigma of failure. Information about student course participation and quiz results will be reported by the e-course application. The webquest has a rubric embedded within it to provide students with a guide for expected performance. Finally, the games test student learning. Learning is evident by the ability to master the games.
Course evaluation measures include a survey that students will take to evaluate the course. The surveys will be used to improve this course and guide the development of future courses. Informal discussions and feedback will also be welcomed from students. Finally, I have presented the course to several colleagues and solicited their opinions on my course. I have asked them to evaluate the course for structure, content, and overall appeal and engagement.
VI. References
Amen, D. (1998). Change your brain, change your life. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Bridgeland, J., DiIulio, J., & Morrison, K. (2006). The silent epidemic: Perspectives of high school dropouts. Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://www.civicenterprises.net/reports.php
Jukes, I., & Dosaj, J. (2004). Educational origami. Understanding digital kids (DKs): Teaching & learning in the new digital landscape. Retrieved June 24, 2009, from http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Understanding+Digital+Children+-+Ian+Jukes
Kelly, M. (nd). Budget cuts and teacher planning time: The importance of teacher
planning time. Retrieve January 10, 2010, from
http://712educators.about.com/od/issuesineducation/a/planning_time.htm
Marzano, R., Marzano, J., and Pickering, D. (2003). Classroom management that works.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
McGee, P., Carmean, C., & Jafari, A. (2005). Course management systems for learning: Beyond accidental pedagogy. Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing
McKenzie, J. (2003). Beyond edutainment and technotainment. The Journal of Quality &
Participation, 26(4), 26-28.
Mollman, S. (2009, January, 15). Web 2.0-savvy teachers testing old assumptions. Retrieved August 1, 2009, from
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/14/digitalbiz.techteachers/
Shore, K. (2005). The unmotivated student. Retrieved January 10, 2010, from http://www.educationworld.com
Simpson, E., & Clem, F. (2008, March). Video games in the middle school classroom. Middle School Journal, 39(4), 4-11.
Warlick, D. (2009, July 5). The next killer app? Retrieved January 10, 2010, from http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/?p=1792
