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Month: January 2013

  • Exploring 5 E and Learning Technologies

    What do you understand about instructional design from what you have read so far?

    Instructional design is an evolving science.  The role of technology has increased the pace of learning, provided richness and depth to the learning process, and potentially gives learners an engaging experience.  Approaches to instructional design will continue to evolve as learning technologies rapidly evolve.  Global approaches and trends to research in instructional design methods will be interesting to follow.

    What model will you present for class? Why? What interests you about it?

    I am very interested in the effect of the 5E instructional design method utilizing learning technologies on middle school rural students.  Recent literature review suggests a need to explore the 5E instructional model and 21st century skills or learning outcomes.  New Designs for Elementary School Science and Health describes the BSCS 5E instructional model as phases  to include Engagement, Explanation, Exploration, Elaboration,  and Evaluation (BSCS, 1989).  

    BSCS and IBM (1989). New Designs for Elementary Science and Health: A Cooperative

    Project between Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) and International
    Business Machines (IBM). Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

    Porandokht Fazelian, Abdolrarim Naveh ebrahim, Saeed Soraghi, The effect of 5E instructional design model on learning and retention of sciences for middle class students, Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, Volume 5, 2010, Pages 140-143, ISSN 1877-0428, 10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.062.
    (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042810014369)
    Keywords: 5E instructional design model- learning- retention- sciences

  • Improving Instructional Design

    How do you understand the differences between advanced and basic instructional design?

    Advanced instructional design pushes student intrinsically to create meaningful and real world connections, using building blocks, to acquire new knowledge.  Instructional design is more than just presenting information to students.  It is the ability to provide students with the need to learn more.  Advanced instructional design allows for learners to have clear goals, utilizing a variety of perspectives, to allow for students to generate questions and to understand different points of view.  Good instructional design extends the learning environment to include an efficient process .  Learning technologies can extend the learning environment and give students the ability to consume, evaluate and produce knowledge in a social environment.  21st communication opportunities take instructional design to an entirely new level.  Advanced instructional design utilizes alternative assessments and provides ongoing student led evaluation or reflections. Creative elements are used to differentiate learner experiences to produce a positive outcome.

    Challenge based learning is an area that I am very interested in exploring.  Advanced instructional design must be meaningful to the student, and I feel this is one way to give content meaning.  Students need a wider audience to develop critical thinking skills, to evaluate information after reviewing a variety of perspectives, and to propose or contribute their interpretations to a wider audience.

  • This is a great way to get kids to create and think about STEM.