Instructional Objectives Writing Assistant Tool

Welcome to Instructional Objectives Writing Assistant (IOWA), a research project is intended to help instructors write better educational objectives. The "Assistant" imbedded application can help an instructor write better objectives by pointing out what levels of cognition should be focused on in the objectives. If this is your first time using this site, it is recommended that you proceed through the pages listed in the table of contents sequentially. If you have been here before and would like to proceed directly to the Assistant, click on that link.

Development of a Multi-Scaled Virtual Field Trip for the Teaching & Learning of Geospatial Science

There has been considerable research and development into the use of multimedia in teaching and learning geospatial science. Geospatial science professions like cartography, geomatics and surveying are practiced-based and therefore are heavily reliant upon the application of knowledge to practical situations in the field. Action learning and action research establishes a learning environment in which students are actively engaged in building, testing and refining mental models.

Introduction to The Classroom Assessment Techniques

The Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are succint, self-contained, self-instructional, web-based modules that introduce a broadly applicable technique for use in college or university Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (SMET) course instructors. Each CAT has been written by a college or university instructor who currently uses the technique, and has been reviewed by the FLAG Editorial Board for accuracy and consistency with current professional standards of assessment. In most cases, the technique has an extensive history of research to support claims of reliability and validity. The CATs are linked to a set of discipline-specific "tools" that can be downloaded for immediate use.

Digital Learning Events

The digital classroom is in session. At Apple they are inspired by the learning they see taking place in digital classrooms across the globe. And are excited about the open sharing from Learning Interchange authors who regularly contribute their successes to empower other teachers to advance learning in powerful ways too. On these pages, you'll find ways to make your lessons come alive and learn from your peers as they share how digital learning is transforming their classrooms. Enjoy the broad range of content offered below which ranges from engaging lesson plans, lesson "starter" ideas, student projects, virtual field trips, videos, interviews and more. They offer educators may "How To" options to enhance course development.

Check out their Lewis and Clark Series Page Content in this series that will grow over a three-year period as part of the National Bicentennial Commemoration of the original expedition of the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery. Students can join interactive videoconferences with content experts and watch live webcast from the field as this cross-country reenactment takes place.

Learner-developed Scenarios to Enhance and Evaluate a Learning Experience

Learner-developed scenarios were used to enhance a learning experience and to evaluate a workshop activity. Scenarios built relevance for learners into an exercise by engaging them in a process drawing on their experience. The process allowed learners to address practical problems defined at a level of complexity with which they were comfortable.

The Power Point Resource Page + Articulate

Listed at The Power Point Resource Page are resources that will provide information and technical assistance for developing Power Point slide presentations, as well as information on designing computer-based presentations, and mounting PowerPoint files on the Web.

This site offers a great platform in preparing files for the popular Rapid e-Learning Authoring Development Tool, "ARTICULATE." This tool lets learning professionals and subject-matter experts easily create e-learning courses, presentations, quizzes, and surveys. Their FAQ site is a >Blog.

Scoring Rubrics: What, When and How?

Scoring rubrics have become a common method for evaluating student work in both the K-12 and the college classrooms. The purpose of this paper is to describe the different types of scoring rubrics, explain why scoring rubrics are useful and provide a process for developing scoring rubrics.

Six Criteria of an Educational Simulation by Clark Aldrich

Clark Aldrich identifies six criteria that are emerging as critical, and ultimately not just to simulations but all educational experiances. Three criteria, linear, systems, and cyclical, describe "content." And, three criteria, simulation, game, and pedagogy, describe "delivery." Read on for more...

LMS and LCMS: What's the Difference?

If you’re confused about the differences between a learning management system (LMS) and a learning content management system (LCMS), you’re not alone. Not only are the names similar, some suppliers are positioning LCMSs as the new wave of LMSs. In fact, an LMS and an LCMS are complementary but very different systems that serve different masters and address unique business challenges. Leonard Greenberg offers clarity for ASTD viewers.

Experience-Enabling Design: An approach to elearning design

Every time we use a product or a service, we essentially consume the experience it enables, the Enabling Design approach. The product is not a thing. The service is not an act. They are vehicles for the experience that their designer intends to bring about. Thus, when a designer creates a sharp, safe, and well balanced cutting knife, she is not only putting metal, plastic and rubber together, but also setting the stage for an experience of pleasure of using a good tool effectively, and a feeling of skilled accomplishment, on the part of the user.

LCMS = LMS + CMS [RLOs]

LCMS = LMS + CMS [RLOs]?

Going by the current buzz in the industry, a pattern seems to be emerging that follows the above equation. Before we discuss what this means to the learner, or the instructional designer, let us first try to understand this equation.

Developing WBT with the 'ADDIE-M' ISD Model

The Task Based Training approach is used by all Services and Industry on the Instructional Systems Development Systems Approach to Training (ISD/SAT) process and the development of instructional materials. ISD/SAT process phases include:

Analysis
Design
Development
Implementation
Evaluation
Maintenance

Once the development team has been established, they should work through the process outlined here to refine their plans. Planning for the WBT (web-based training) application is crucial to its success.

Assessment and Rubric Information + by Kathleen Schrock

Now that we are using the Internet in the classroom to support instruction, it is important the area of assessment be addressed. One usable method for teachers is to provide a rubric for student use and for both formative and summative assessment purposes. Another is to provide some type of graphic organizer. You will find a collection of assessment rubrics and graphic organizers that may be helpful to you as you design your own.

The Learner's Charter

The Learner’s Charter for a Personalised Learning Environment

It is a simple one-pager of bullet points of what they think learners will be (or are already) requiring. You can tell that they're still having trouble separating learning and education (this week's topic, it seems), but much of it is still thought-provoking and worth digging into. An interesting document from the NESTA Futurelab 10 more pages explaining and expanding on the ideas in the charter.

Instructional Design and Learning Objects

Learning objects are not yet an established technology, but rather a philosophy of how content can be created and deployed. A widely adopted industry standard, developed by ADL called the SCORM, defines a "SCO" (sharable content object), and provides a common method that makes content interoperable among Learning Management Systems (LMS). However, Learning Object methodology is still evolving toward more comprehensive and effective technology capabilities and standards

The Sharp Edge of the Cube: Pedagogically Driven Instructional Design for Online Education

Pedagogically Driven Instructional Design Article
This article addresses three issues central to the development of pedagogically driven instructional design for online education: learning style-based instructional design, design parameters, and the design and development procedure.

Vaughan Waller Explains Why We Need Good Instructional Design

Many think that instructional design (a term without one clear definition but in the context of this paper describing the entire process of designing and delivering a learning programme) is how the multimedia programme on the computer will actually look like and yet this is only a very small (although very important) element in the jigsaw. It is important at this stage to grasp that instructional design is a process of many separate but inter-linked stages.

Humor - Schools Using Technology.

"Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school. In order to assist you in connecting the right staff member, please listen to all your options before making a selection:

"To lie about why your child is absent - Press 1
"To make excuses for why your child did not do his work- Press 2
"To complain about what we do - Press 3
"To swear at staff members - Press 4
"To ask why you didn't get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several flyers mailed to you - Press 5
"If you want us to raise your child - Press 6
"If you want to reach out and touch, slap or hit someone - Press 7
"To request another teacher for the third time this year- Press 8
"To complain about bus transportation - Press 9
"To complain about school lunches - Press 0

"If you realize this is the real world and your child must be accountable and responsible for his/her own behavior, class work, homework, and that it's not the teachers' fault for your child's lack of effort: Hang up and have a nice day!"

If you can read this thank a teacher.
If you are reading it in English thank a veteran.

Online Educational Terms...

This article presents, defines, and discusses the most pivotal online education terms that are used. The definitions are presented and discussed in relation to each other, rather than in their alphebetical order.

The Concord Consortium

Looking for something Fun??? The Concord Consortium is a nonprofit educational research and development organization based in Concord, Massachusetts. They create interactive materials that exploit the power of information technologies. Their primary goal in all their work is digital equity — improving learning opportunities for all students. Take a look...

The Older Language Learner

by Mary Schleppegrell

The greatest obstacle to older adult language learning is the doubt--in the minds of both learner and teacher--that older adults can learn a new language. Most people assume that "the younger the better" applies in language learning. However, many studies have shown that this is not true.

Technology and Constructivism

A Capstone Project - Learning and Technology - using the "Constructivism" approach, explores two types of technologies that are working their way into university classrooms . With student participation and cooperation in mind, designing curriculum using these tools may result in huge payoffs in terms of investments in time and money.