Rachel Thrun

Instructional Strategy/Intervention Assignment

Scenario:

You are teaching an online course that is already designed by a course vendor and as a result, you have
little control over how the core content is delivered. Unfortunately, you are disappointed that the course
contains only multiple choice, computer graded tests which you feel don’t always reflect what your
students know and are able to do. Plus, you have several students in the class who are missing some
background skills necessary for the class and would like to offer them additional support materials. In
addition, the course is lacking an interactive quality and actually presents itself more like a simple online
textbook. You have many students report that the course feels like independent study and that they are
bored and frustrated by the lack of engaging activities.

For this post, use any of the strategies you have explored to develop at least three different
solutions to address the concerns in the scenario – 1) lack of engaging activities, 2) support for missing
background skills, and 3) assessment. You will develop one solution for each of the three concerns, but
each solution should be different and should utilize a different web-based technology tool.

Include the following:

-A short description of the grade level/content area you are focusing on and any learner characteristics
unique to that grade level/content area that impact your decisions.

-For each of the three solutions you develop, provide the following:

1. A description of the solution strategy and how it would be implemented: Give enough detail so that
we get a sense of what this strategy would “look like” as it’s used with online students in your content
area/grade level.
2. Explain how this strategy addresses the related concern given in the scenario and improves upon it.
3. Describe at least one web-based technology tool that could be used to facilitate this solution strategy.
Include links, if possible, and a brief description of the tool and its features.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Background: The following solutions are described for students who are complete distance learners.
These learners are in the grades 5-8, and I’m the instructor for general science curriculum.

Solution 1: Lack of engaging activities

• Description
o There’s no doubt that a course that presents itself as simply an online textbook is going
to lose the interest of middle school aged students, and ultimately, any age learner. This
would be the case in a synchronous, traditional school setting as well. Palloff and Pratt
state that, “many students are concrete-active learners” and “learn best from concreate
experiences that engage their senses” (Palloff, 2007).

o The subject of science can often bring frustration to students as there are many topics
that are hard to visualize, and some written text can be hard to decode and construct
 knowledge from. With this in mind, I would engage my students by having them complete
an online simulation, virtual lab, or scientific game. For further engagement, and for a
more hands on approach, (assuming that the students attending the online school I am
the instructor for are provided materials) they would conduct at home lab experiments
that ties into the content. If they are not provided with materials, I would find basic labs
that use house hold items that they can perform. At home labs would not be a
requirement, rather a form of extra exploration for those who learn best by doing.
• Explanation
o Online simulations, virtual labs, and games are all mediums that will help bring the
scientific concepts to “life”. Embedded within, are all types of learning styles. Often times,
the virtual simulation has a component in which background information is provided and
often read out loud by the character or “narrator”. This addresses the learners who prefer
to learn by listening. Similarly, what is being said out loud Is often written in text format,
and many times there are supplemental readings throughout, or links are provided, so
those who learn by reading will benefit. The whole process is visual and experimental, so
those who prefer to learn by seeing, exploring, practicing, and manipulating will thrive. In
certain simulations, labs, or games, the variables within are explorative, meaning, if a
student is working through one of the online environments and asks, “I wonder what
would happen if I change this variable?”, they can change it and see what happens.
Therefore, those who learn by asking, have the opportunity to ask themselves questions
and seek out the answer right away.
o Collaborative learning can also take place and a sense of community can be
implemented by using simulations, virtual labs and games. Let’s say my students were
playing a game and perhaps the game keeps a score or has levels. Students may end up
engaged simply by the nature of a game environment, but also through a sense of
competition. As the instructor, I would incorporate a discussion forum where students
could post their scores, and discuss how they reached that score (or level). Posting their
game scores will allow for friendly competition, and having students discuss how they got
that score will reinforce the science concept within. A great example of a game I would
use is the game Mountain Scramble. “This game allows players to see how the different
species of plants and animals in a mountain ecosystem depend on one another, and to
experiment with how changing the amount of one resource affects the whole ecosystem.
Their goal is to put together a balanced ecosystem, in which each animal has enough
food to survive over a period of 12 days. The longer their ecosystem lasts, the more
points they will earn for their sticker collections.” (PBSKids) Students would post their
game score and discuss whether or not they were able to keep their ecosystem alive. As
 a facilitator, I would ask content specific questions such as the ones provided in the
conversation starters on the website.
o As always, as the instructor, I would have to thoroughly look through any game,
simulation or lab, to make sure its age appropriate, and has meaning.
• Tech Tool
o There is a plethora of web based applications, games, and labs that I would utilize, and it
would vary depending on the topic of the current unit. Below are links to various platforms
I would use that host a variety of different content that I would pick and chose from. I
would post the direct link/instructions for how to access the simulation, game, or lab.
o Simulations / Virtual Labs: PhET, Glencoe , Gizmos (if paid for)
o Games: PBS Kids, Science Kids , Interactive Sites
o Discussion Thread: Ideally there would be a discussion forum option embedded in the
learning management system, however, if not, I would use Recap to engage my students
in discussion. This site allows for text threads, or video recordings to occur in which
participants can comment to each other.

Solution 2: Support for missing background skills

• Description / Tech Tool
o Whether the missing background skills is for technical support or content specific, I would
utilize videos. The web based tool that I would use is YouTube. I would create a variety of
playlists that pertain to specific science content topics, technical support, or a
lab/simulation walk through. Both playlists may include videos that I create or videos from
YouTube.

• Explanation
o The videos will serve as a supplement for any skills that needs support, whether it be
utilizing specific technology, or content specific. YouTube has a variety of features, that
allow for student interaction and organization.
§ Organization of Videos: Videos will be organized in “Playlists” such as one
organizes text in folders. Each playlist will be specific. For example, here is a
playlist for students during a chemistry unit. Within this playlist are a variety of
topics that students will learn within the unit. If a student is struggling with a
specific concept, they can watch a video in the playlist.

§ Students can add videos to playlists: A feature that is unique and allows for
collaboration and student interaction is the ability for others to add videos to a
playlist. If a student couldn’t find a video he or she liked within the list of videos,
 they can search YouTube themselves, and if they found a video that they thought
was useful, they could add it to the “class” playlists for others to benefit from.

Another idea would be for students to “peer tutor” in which they would record
themselves using any recording device, and upload the video to the playlist.
Other students would be able to comment (via written form) on their peer’s video,
and in turn that peer can respond. A collaborative, student-interactive learning
space would take place.

§ Comment feature: The comment feature would only be helpful if the teacher (or
peer) made and uploaded their own video because then I (or peer) would receive
a notification and be able to respond. This would be helpful for students to ask
follow up questions.

§ “Friends” messaging feature: if students have a YouTube account, you can be

“friends”. Students would be able to directly share a video with you and you
would also be able to instant message. Instant messages can be 1:1 or a group
setting.

Solution 3: Assessment
• Description
o Whether in a traditional classroom setting or online, it’s always important to provide the
students with a variety of assignments that can check for understanding throughout the
learning process. While, in an online environment, the teacher would lose the ability to
formatively check for understanding through real time conversation and observation, but
there are still ways to have ongoing formative assessments.
o One way I would assess my students (and this can be a formative or summative
assessment) would be through verbal explanation. For this, I would use the tool Recap
again except this time, I would have the setting be set so that only I can see and
comment on the responses. I would prompt a question (or series of questions) such as
“explain the process that water cycles the Earth” and each student would submit a video
recording response.

o Another way to assess my students would be to have them create a concept map, along
with a verbal explanation describing their thought process and explaining their map.
Students would be provided the topic and depending on the level of the learner and
 grade level, associated terminology that needs to be included. Concept maps will be
graded using a rubric and all concept maps will be public so that peers can view and see
how others are making connections. Students would be encouraged to make positive
comments on concept maps.

• Explanation
o Video Recap: I would be able to observe their tone of voice, and whether or not they
were using notes, or other materials to help them (unless it was something that enhanced
their explanation and didn’t tell them the answer) as a teacher would be able to do in a
traditional setting. I also believe that “those who are doing the talking are those who are
learning” and often times its harder to explain something out loud, so if they can explain
something out loud, then I have a good indicator that they learned the material.

o Concept Map: Palloff and Pratt 2007 discuss how assignments that promote critical
thinking and are designed to be shared with others can potentially reduce the temptation
to cheat, and promote self pride. In the Online Teaching Activity Index, it is stated that
concept mapping can be done as an assessment. The student will have to critically think
when creating a concept map and be able to explain how the ideas and terms within the
concept map relate.

• Tech Tools
o For the Video explanation, students would use Recap.
o For the concept map, students can use the following tools to create the map: Google
Slide, Google Doc, Popplet, Padlet, Bubbl.us , Mindmup, Mindmeister, They will be
asked to send their concept maps to me (Via downloaded pdf, or screenshot picture), I
will upload them to VoiceThread. Then they will add a voice comment to their map
explaining it. They will also have the opportunity to comment on their peer’s maps within
the Voicethread.