Multimedia Design Project Assessment (MDPA) Report Template

Please replace the instructions provided with your own narrative.

Product URL:
http://protectingourecosystems.weebly.com/

Analysis
Learner Analysis
This WebQuest is designed for 4th graders in a classroom that has a one to one ratio of
Chromebooks. Students have a variety of learning needs including gifted students,
English Language Learners, and students reading well below grade level. This
classroom uses technology daily and students are experienced with project-based
learning and cooperative group projects.
Context Analysis
There are 28 students in this class, and students are with this teacher all day. Since this
is a self-contained classroom, the schedule is very flexible. There is a total of about 4
hours and 15 minutes of instructional time. There are no students with disabilities or
students how need assistive technology. The ELL students have the read-aloud
accommodation, so this was taken into consideration with the WebQuest (videos,
narrated instruction, read aloud option for reading passages). The teacher in this class
was one of the first to be in a one to one Chromebook setting in this school. The teacher
has led a model classroom for technology integration and project-based learning. The
goal for this project is for students to understand the parts of an ecosystem, how these
parts work together, and effects of human and natural changes. The following standards
are addressed through this WebQuest:
Georgia Standards of Excellence (Science)
S4L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the roles of organisms and the
flow of energy within an ecosystem.
a. Develop a model to describe the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a
community. (Clarification statement: Students are not expected to identify the different
types of consumers – herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and scavengers.)
b. Develop simple models to illustrate the flow of energy through a food web/food chain
beginning with sunlight and including producers, consumers, and decomposers.
c. Design a scenario to demonstrate the effect of a change on an ecosystem. (Clarification
statement: Include living and non-living factors in the scenario.)
d. Use printed and digital data to develop a model illustrating and describing changes to the
flow of energy in an ecosystem when plants or animals become scarce, extinct or
overabundant.
ISTE Student Standards
1. Creativity and innovation - Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and
develop innovative products and processes using technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues
d. Identify trends and forecast possibilities

2. Communication and collaboration - Students use digital media and environments to

communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning
and contribute to the learning of others.
a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of
digital environments and media
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of
media and formats
c. Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other
cultures
d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems

3. Research and information fluency - Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use
information.
a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a
variety of sources and media
c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to
specific tasks
d. Process data and report results

4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making - Students use critical thinking skills
to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions
using appropriate digital tools and resources.
a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation
b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project
c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions

Task Analysis
Students will work both independently and in small groups to learn the science
concepts then work together to create a presentation (using a tool of their choice)
that will inform and convince others to protect ecosystems from the effects of
human and natural changes.
Design
Overview
In the Design phase, you actually design the instructional element. For WebQuests, the
design phase entails sketching out the introduction or storyline that couches the
WebQuest, the task students will have to complete, and an outline of the process they will
undertake to complete the task. The instructional activities of the project should be
authentic and appropriate for the content and student technology standards. (PSC 2.1, 2.3,
2.6) The tone, vocabulary, and style of the project should be appropriate for the age and
grade level of student. (PSC 2.6) What online resources have you purposely selected and
evaluated to deliver the content for the project? (PSC 3.6) Please include citations for all
resources used in the project. (PSC 4.2)
Details
This WebQuest has elements that are individual and small group; the final project for the
WebQuest will be completed in small groups. The multi-media elements used in this
project include videos, narrated instructions using the Tellagami app, images, and the
read-aloud option for the reading passages. There is already some assistive technology
incorporated into this WebQuest. There is narration for all text, including instructions and
reading passages. The videos also have the option of closed-captioning. Having all text in
audio and written forms support students with visual and auditory difficulties. Students
who have physical disabilities would be placed in a group with other students who do not
have physical limitations to support during group work. The most difficult physical
aspect of this project is the typing of the documents and answers to reading questions. If a
student has difficulty typing, he or she could use voice recognition to say the answers
which could record their answers as text.

Development
Once the original idea was approved on June 20, 2017, I had until July 14, 2017 to complete the
WebQuest in order to be able to receive feedback. In developing the WebQuest, I utilized
YouTube, Google apps, Digital ReadWorks, and Canvas (learning management system). I also
had to learn how to use Tellagami to do the narration of the instructions. I also had to learn how to
use more of the elements of Weebly to build the WebQuest.

Implementation
In order to implement this project, no special arrangements will need to be made for my
classroom. I am in a one to one classroom, so students will have access to Chromebooks
to complete the WebQuest. Since I have a technology-based classroom, management
strategies for technology use are in place from the first day of school. While students are
completing this project, they will be on a timeline to complete the checklist of all
activities. I will be checking students’ checklists and graded assignments throughout the
project to make sure they are completing the tasks. Students will work on this project
 daily for about 30 minutes; the time frame will be approximately three weeks, and the
entire project will be completed at school. In order for other classes to implement this
project, they will have to work with their team teacher since each team shares a set of
Chromebooks.

Evaluation
The Evaluation section describes how you will know if this WebQuest/project actually
helps students learn and if it is a well-designed project from the student perspective.
Student Learning –

The final product for the WebQuest is the presentation to share with others. This
will provide the main assessment for this WebQuest. This product will be scored by
a rubric which students will use to evaluate their work. Students will also keep a
vocabulary journal throughout this project which will be submitted at the end. There
are three IXL topics students must complete and show mastery along the way before
moving to the next step. Students are given a checklist at the beginning of the
WebQuest to monitor their progress and stay on track. I will periodically check their
checklist to make sure they are making adequate progress. Since there are parts that
are individual and parts that are whole group, there will be a sense of urgency to
complete the independent parts since their group is depending on them to stay on
track.
Product Design –
I had a few of my colleagues (who also teach 4th grade) to review the WebQuest to make
sure it was user friendly. They were able to provide me with some feedback regarding
usability which I then used to make changes. When I implement this in the fall, I will take
notes as students go through the WebQuest to determine any areas that may need to be
redesigned.

Reflection
Reflect on this project around four aspects:

Project Development – I have a technology based classroom, so I have planned many

activities and tasks with technology. However, I have never planned one singular
project that incorporates the entire learning process; they are usually many smaller
projects that address separate parts of the learning process and then the
project/assessment. The actual development of the WebQuest took a lot longer than
I expected. I believe this was due to many factors. The primary factor was that I am
not proficient with Weebly. I had to figure out how to navigate the webpage building
as well as make sure the website was easy to navigate by 4th grade students. I had a
hard time adding audio to narrate the pages. The best tool I found for this was the
Tellagami app, but the free version had a time limit that was too short for some of
the narrations I needed, so some of the narration did not exactly match the text due
to limits on recording time. I started by having all of the steps on one “process” page.
After viewing the completed WebQuest, I felt this would be too difficult for my
students to manage, so I separated each step onto its own page and provided a link
at the end of each page for the next page. I felt this separation and providing links
made the WebQuest easier to navigate. If I built a WebQuest again, I would do this
from the beginning. I would also wait until I had all of the content to really worry
about the theme. I tried to choose a theme several times in the beginning of the
WebQuest creation only to find out it did not work well with the finished product.

Instructional Design – Since the WebQuest is used for actual learning, I had to make
sure it addressed the needs of diverse learners. In my classroom, I have many
English language learners as well as struggling readers. I also have many different
learning styles represented. I tried to have a balance of videos and reading (with the
read-aloud accommodation) as well as individual and group assignments. By
structuring the activities this way, I tried to provide support and scaffolding as
needed. As I reflect on this WebQuest, I feel that there is still more opportunity for
different types of elements to be incorporated, possibly simulations or even games
to practice.

Personal Growth – While I am happy with the finished product for this project, I
realize that I will have to add even more to this WebQuest to make it sufficient for an
entire unit of study. I love creating technology-rich learning experiences for my
students, but creating something this large is very time-consuming which can
become frustrating. I am excited that I had the opportunity to create a WebQuest
(properly) as this is something I have wanted to try in my classroom. I also realize
that if creating a WebQuest was somewhat overwhelming and frustrating for
someone who likes and is willing to try these things, it will probably be difficult for
me to help other teachers who may not be as willing to create WebQuests.

For Others – For anyone who wants to create a WebQuest, I would first make sure
they know that it is a time-consuming process. In order to create a proper
WebQuest, there are many elements that require careful planning and consideration;
then, it is often difficult to find resources that match the ideas you have. In order to
be successful, it is helpful to view other WebQuests as long as they are high-quality.
It is also helpful to get feedback from others who can see potential issues or
mistakes.