Nagy EDTECH Rationale Paper
Transcript of Nagy EDTECH Rationale Paper
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Master of Educational Technology Rationale Paper
Brian Nagy
Science Department Leader
Urban Action Academy
Brooklyn, NY
Fall, 2014
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Introduction
I have been using computers for various purposes for as long as I can remember. Dad brought
home an Apple IIe from work every so often. Five and quarter inch floppy drives. Black-and-
white(ish) monitor. The program I used most often was a maze. Up arrow makes the rabbit or the
leprechaun jump up. Right arrow makes the rabbit or leprechaun (Oh! The decisions we had to
make in those days!) go right. Get to the center of the maze and claim the pot of gold or carrot
(or was it the other way around?). It was riveting!
Fast forward. A lot. I have always enjoyed technology. I garnered a love for science. I found a
niche for myself. I attended the University at Albany, part of the State University of New York
system from 2001-2007. In that time, I studied biology and came away with a Bachelor of
Science degree (2005), then continued on in a teacher preparation program that led to
certification and a Master of Science in Secondary Education (2007).
I taught biology in a rural high school in New York for six years. During that time, I found
myself drawn to using technology in the classroom to help my students engage with content in
new ways. I eventually became a go-to for our Network Administrator when he was looking to
field test new technology for the district. I moved my way into being part of the tech support
team for the school. That was when I knew that I needed to further my knowledge and skills at
utilizing technology in the classroom setting. I began the Master of Educational Technology
program at Boise State in the Fall of 2012.
Two years later, I now teach at a small public high school in Brooklyn, N.Y. I started there last
May. Despite having little time in the school, I am already the Science Department Leader. I
have amassed a collection of artifacts from my time in the EdTech program.
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This paper examines some of those artifacts, what they are, and how they apply to the standards
set by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (2005). For each
subdomain, I present the text of the standard, a description of the artifact that demonstrates that
standard, and explanation of educational or design theory used in creating that artifact.
______________________________________________________________________________
The Standards
Standard 1: Design
Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to design conditions for learning
by applying principles of instructional systems design, message design, instructional strategies,
and learner characteristic.
1.1: Instructional Systems Design
Instructional Systems Design (ISD) is an organized procedure that includes the steps of
analyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating instruction.
For EDTECH 503, Instructional Design, I created an instructional unit entitled "Adaptations in
the Intertidal Zone". The focus of this instructional design project is for students to learn about
the stressors and adaptations of different locations on the shore. The project was created using
Microsoft Word, with images embedded that I created for EDTECH 506 using Adobe Fireworks.
The needs analysis and subject matter expert evaluation were both administered using Google
Forms. The instructional unit primarily represents concept learning, as described by Smith and
Ragan (2005). It leads to understanding of adaptations and how they help animals survive in their
ecosystem(s). This concept can then be applied to any organism to identify adaptations or predict
in which kind of ecosystem they live. I created this unit for use in the high school-level marine
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biology course I taught at the time. I had focused so much of my attention up to that point on
resources to use in Living Environment (New York's title for biology) classes, that I wanted to
use the opportunity to create a large piece of instruction for the elective that I taught. I utilized
the ADDIE Model (Lohr, 2008) to analyze the instructional need, design the instruction, develop
it more fully to include activities and worksheets, implemented it, and evaluate with feedback
from students and a fellow subject matter expert.
Another demonstration of instructional systems design is thecourse design websitefor my Web
2.0 Tools online course I created in EDTECH 512, Online Course Design. The online course
teaches students how to use certain Web 2.0 tools so that they can then utilize those tools in other
classes as assessments and learning activities. The website was created using Adobe
DreamWeaver with a proposal designed on Glogster, one of the course's Web 2.0 tool and
flowcharts created in Microsoft Word. The design website represents the "design document"
created during instructional development using the Web-Based Instructional Design Model
(Davidson-Shivers & Rasmussen, 2006). The site shows the instructional design process as it
passed through the ADDIE model, with problem analysis, development and design, an
implementation plan and evaluation planning. Each has its own section linked from the home
page, however they have different titles due to the slightly modified design model.
1.2: Message Design
Message design involves planning for the manipulation of the physical form of the message.
For this subdomain, I cannot help but think of the design of instructional images, including
Using Shape in Design,created for EDTECH 506, Graphic Design for Learning. The image
itself shows homologous structures in mammals. I chose to use squares and rectangles to contain
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chunked information (Lohr, 2008). The square X-Ray images provide emphasis. The similar
scale of the images allows the viewer to easily make comparisons. Bullet point information in the
rectangle on the bottom provides emphasis, which is further aided by the contrasting colors. To
focus the viewer on homologous bones in the x-ray images, I used red circles, which provide
necessary contrast, and the circles focus attention. The image is created using Adobe Fireworks.
This graphic uses design principles to modify the message, creating a clear image will aid users
in learning necessary content.
Designing an instructional message for maximum impact and retention requires a fine balance of
what to add and what to take away. Too stark, and the learner's attention isn't fully engaged; too
busy, on the other hand, and the learner is overwhelmed. In theCoherence Analysis,a
WordPress post, I completed for EDTECH 513 Multimedia, I discuss The Coherence Principle
(Clark & Mayer, 2011), which suggests that instructional messages should only use the text,
audio, and graphics required for instruction, but no more. I go on to analyze good practices that I
have seen and the numerous times that I have violated the coherence principle. Using this
analysis, I have gone on to edit down my own presentations, as well as modify presentations I
have found from other sources to be more effective for my students.
1.3: Instructional Strategies
Instructional strategies are specifications for selecting and sequencing events and activities
within a lesson.
I designed theVertical Zones Jigsaw Lessonin EDTECH 502, The Internet for Educators, as a
modification of a lesson that I already taught to my marine biology students. " Just as in a jigsaw
puzzle, each piece--each student's part--is essential for the completion and full understanding of
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the final product. If each student's part is essential, then each student is essential; and that is
precisely what makes this strategy so effective" (Aronson, 2000). It is a "cooperative learning
technique" (Aronson, 2000) in which students study different sections of beach ecosystems in
groups. They become experts on their vertical zone, create informational posters, then report
back to the class as teachers, focusing on the stressors and adaptations of that ecosystem. Thus,
the students themselves become the teachers. The page was designed with Adobe DreamWeaver
and the images were designed using Adobe Fireworks. This lesson is even incorporated as an
optional instructional activity in the instructional design project created for EDTECH 542.
Also for EDTECH 502, I created theGenetically Modified Foods WebQuest.Here, Living
Environment students who have already studied genetics learn about both sides of the debate on
genetically modified products, then produce an opinion paper that could be sent to their local
newspaper. The web site for this activity was created on Adobe DreamWeaver. "A well-designed
WebQuest task is practical, engaging, and elicits student thinking" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn &
Malenoski, 2007, p. 146). Further, the format required by the task, and as outlined in the rubric,
reinforces two similar strategies for writing persuasive pieces: ICE (Introduce, Cite your
evidence, Explain) and CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning), both of which support new writing
standards required under the Common Core State Standards.
Another artifact that demonstrate the instructional strategies standard is theDealing With
Disease Project Timeline,created for EDTECH 542, Technology-Supported Project Based
Learning, as part of a larger unit. This document was created using Microsoft Word and added a
page designed on Adobe DreamWeaver using Scribd's embed code. It shows the sequencing for
the project, which includes a entry event, a WebQuest, journal reviews, Prezi creation, web
scavenger hunts, discussions, presentations, and feedback. All of these activities are designed to
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allow for a student-centered approach to learning about the immune system, diseases and
medicine.
1.4 Learner Characteristics
Learner characteristics are those facets of the learners experiential background that impact the
effectiveness of a learning process.
In theAdaptations in the Intertidal Zoneunit (EDTECH 503), the analysis report includes
surveys and analysis of potential learners for whom the unit was designed (though some students
who had already taken the marine biology course also responded to the survey). Created using
Google Forms, the survey asked about prior knowledge, interests, favorite school subjects,
reading level and styles and attitudes on school. Having this kind of knowledge "is important so
that the designer can make the [instruction] interesting and relevant to the intended audience,"
(Davidson-Shivers & Rasmussen, 2006, p. 94), as well as make sure that activities are geared
towards their levels of ability.
Contained within theWeb 2.0 Tools Problem and Context Analysis(EDTECH 512), there is a
section on learner analysis. This includes information on "general characteristics and
motivations" and "abilities, disabilities, and other characteristics". As the online course was
written to allow students to create new, interactive pieces as part of their learning and
assessment, it was important to understand the starting point for all learners. This allowed me to
design the instruction in such a way that no assumptions were made about computer-use ability
beyond the students' ability to navigate to the courseware. The user's skill set needs to be
ascertained prior to beginning instruction because these skills "may affect how learners browse
and comprehend information and interact among participants and WBI [web-based instruction]
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materials" (Davidson-Shivers & Rasmussen, 2006, p. 96). In this analysis, I discuss not only the
overall characteristics of the learners for whom the online courseware was designed, but also
their current levels of comfort with technology. Fortunately, this course is designed to be
somewhat blended, so a teacher would be available for one-to-one remediation of skills, as
necessary.
______________________________________________________________________________
Standard 2: Development
Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to develop instructional materials
and experiences using print, audiovisual, computer-based, and integrated technologies.
2.1: Print Technologies
Print technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials, such as books and static visual
materials, primarily through mechanical or photographic printing processes.
Some information is easier to process in hard copy. I prefer to read articles with papers in my
hand. Sometimes it is more efficient to flip through a few pages of a syllabus than to scroll
through the same document on the screen. When I wrote theAnnotated Bibliographyfor
EDTECH 504, Theoretical Foundations of Educational Technology, I was writing something
that would be printed out for reference. The bibliography included resources on the use of
educational technology in a constructivist setting. I used that bibliography to help write the
synthesis paper that came later that term. I found it easier to have the resource printed to go to for
references, rather than having to open the file, scan through, return to the document screen, and
keep writing. Having it printed made the process of creating something else much more
seamless.
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Another resource designed to be printed is theCloning a Mammal User Manual.It was written in
conjunction with my final unit for EDTECH 511, Interactive Courseware Development. The
courseware was designed using Adobe Flash Professional. Screenshots for the manual were
taken using Snipping Tool. The manual is designed to be printed and available to users before
and while using the courseware. "Additionally, a learner manual is a resource for the instructor to
ascertain what learners will be doing and, to some extent, to determine if the program is
appropriate for learners" (Alessi & Trollip, 2001, p. 542). It includes basic navigation, pointers,
and troubleshooting tips, as well as a short description of what happens in each section of the
courseware. In order to be most useful, a manual such as this needs to be viewable at the same
time as the courseware for which it is written. Having a digital-only copy becomes disruptive
because the user has to flip back and forth between windows.
2.2: Audiovisual Technologies
Audiovisual technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials by using mechanical devices
or electronic machines to present auditory and visual messages.
In theWorked Example Screencastcreated for EDTECH 513, I showed learners how to balance
chemical equations. The visuals for the presentation were created using Microsoft PowerPoint,
then the presentation was shown while Screencast-O-Matic recorded the screen and my voice.
Worked Examples help students learn new skills by not just listing steps to the skill, but
demonstrating them with examples (Clark & Mayer, 2011). This worked example also follows
basic multimedia design principles, including the Multimedia Principle (it uses text and images),
the Modality and Redundancy Principles (it uses both audio and visual information, but little
overlap of the two), and the Contiguity Principle (labels are kept near the items to which they
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refer) (Clark & Mayer, 2011). Since audio, text, and images were used, this artifact applies to the
audiovisual technologies subdomain.
Wireless Networking in Schoolsis an audiovisual presentation created for EDTECH 541,
Integrating Technology into the Classroom Curriculum. I created the presentation with Prezi and
embedded audio I recorded using Audacity. The presentation shows the overall structure and
suggested security best practices for developing wireless networks in the school environment.
The presentation utilizes "chunking" (Lohr, 2008) to group related concepts together in order to
reduce cognitive load on the target audience. With the integration of images, video, text and
audio, this presentation demonstrates the audiovisual technologies subdomain.
2.3: Computer-Based Technologies
Computer-based technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials using microprocessor-
based resources.
Cloning a Mammalwas the culminating product of EDTECH 511. In this interactive courseware,
users learn about the history of cloning and biotechnology. They then get to learn about the
process of cloning before trying it out on their own. Finally, learners take a short quiz on what
they've learned. The entire program was created using Adobe Flash Professional. The courseware
allows students some exploration of different variables involved in cloning, which was provided
in order to allow for transfer of the knowledge learned in those specific examples to different
ones later on, though this will primarily be near transfer (Davidson-Shivers & Rasmussen, 2006),
as the knowledge learned here is not general enough to be applied outside of the scope of
cloning. The interaction and animations would not be available in any medium other than on a
computer, thus fulfilling the requirements for the computer-based technologies subdomain.
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Web 2.0 Tools Online Coursewas the culminating product for EDTECH 512. Here, I used
Moodle to create an online course for 9th graders to learn how to use Web 2.0 Tools to
demonstrate their learning. The course was designed to teach the skills, but also to enable other
teachers to utilize the tools without the stress of having to take instructional time out to teach the
skills themselves. Students who take this course are exposed to online posters (Glogster); blogs
(Blogger); Google Docs for collaboration; video presentations (Animoto); and podcasts and
screen casts (Audioboo and Screenr, respectively). In each module, learners gain instruction on
how to use these tools, then are given the opportunity to use them in relevant ways that were
designed to tie in with the work being done in other classes (like presenting the results from an
experiment in science class being presented as a Glog).
2.4: Integrated Technologies
Integrated technologies are ways to produce and deliver materials which encompass several
forms of media under the control of a computer.
TheEvolution UnitI created for EDTECH 506 utilizes all of the images I created for the course.
It also includes videos and a computer-based simulation of a lengthy process known as
microevolution. The unit materials use a conversational style, which Clark and Myer (2011)
suggest, as part of their Personalization Principle, helps learners feel like they are part of a team
working towards understanding, and thus will put in more effort. The images were created using
Adobe Fireworks and the webpage was designed using HTML5 and CSS 3.0 on Adobe
DreamWeaver. The content of the course ranges from the definition of a theory and drawing
conclusions from evidence to reproductive fitness to extinction. The combination of images, text,
hyperlinks to other materials, and video make this unit a product that encompasses the integrated
technologies subdomain.
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Using Social Networks for Learningis a group of three mini-lesson plans created for EDTECH
541. Each one requires use of a computer or mobile device to demonstrate learning or interact
with each other to form a learning community outside of the classroom. Created on
DreamWeaver, this page of plans utilizes abilities such as posting pictures to Twitter that
demonstrate adaptive coloration; collaborative lab reports using MixedInk; and use of polls and
discussion boards on Edmodo. Standard 2.4.2 states "Prepare instructional materials and
products for various distance education delivery techniques" (Association for Educational
Communications and Technology, 2005). While these mini lessons needn't, by design, be used in
distance learning, they certainly can be and would allow learners to collaborate in a way that
breaks down the isolation that online or distance learning can create.
______________________________________________________________________________
Standard 3: Utilization
Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to use processes and resources
for learning by applying principles and theories of media utilization, diffusion, implementation,
and policy-making.
3.1: Media Utilization
Media utilization is the systematic use of resources for learning.
The Horizon Report is released annually and describes technologies on the brink of being used in
learning environments, broken down into different times-to-adoption (from "One Year or Less"
to "Four to Five Years" (NMC, 2012). TheHorizon Report Tech Trend Assignment,created for
EDTECH 501, Introduction to Educational Technology, takes a page from the 2012 Horizon
Report for K-12 instruction and utilizes one of the developing technologies in a lesson plan. In
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this case, it is game-based learning, where students act as a bird trying to survive on moths. The
moth population changes depending on what the bird eats, thus demonstrating microevolution. I
wanted to, but was never able to, recreate the simulation as an Android app to incorporate two
trends from the Horizon Report: game-based learning and mobile apps/tablet computing. The
media utilization subdomain calls for the selection of appropriate technology for the learning
task, which has been demonstrated here.
For EDTECH 541, I created theHypermedia Integrationpage. It is composed of two parts. The
first is a collection of ten videos that can be used in teaching biology. I varied the content to keep
the library useful throughout the curriculum. The second part is a lesson plan that utilizes videos
to help teach about the immune system. One of the best parts about videos, especially the ones in
this lesson, which show complex cellular process taking place, is that they "can replace long
convoluted text passages" (Alessi & Trollip, 2001, p. 72). While videos from the library can be
used as anticipatory sets or entry events, they can also be used for instruction, as in the case of
the lesson plan.
3.2: Diffusion of Innovations
Diffusion of innovations is the process of communicating through planned strategies for the
purpose of gaining adoption.
TheTechnology Use Planning Overviewcreated for EDTECH 501 examined the need for, and
desired characteristics of, a technology use plan by school districts. I discussed in this WordPress
post the benefit of planning for technological innovations that don't yet exist. It is difficult to
plan for something that may not have been thought of, but with enough forethought, the budget
and culture of innovation will allow for new technologies to be incorporated. In addition, having
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such a plan shouldn't just be about when to buy technology, but it should include suggestions for
best practices and, perhaps most importantly, plans for training staff in using the new
technology. Having hardware or services does no one any good if teachers are scared to use it
because they have not learned how.
3.3: Implementation and Institutionalization
Implementation is using instructional materials or strategies in real (not simulated) settings.
Institutionalization is the continuing, routine use of the instructional innovation in the structure
and culture of an organization.
I was really excited when the m-Learning assignment came around and I created theSalt Marsh
Tour m-Learning Activityfor EDTECH 502. The webpage was created using Adobe
DreamWeaver and uses built in Java Script and responsive CSS to alter the layout of the page to
best fit the screen size of the device being used to view it. Intended to be a mobile page, I
decided to use the opportunity to produce a page designed to be used on the go. I was taking my
marine biology students to a state park on Long Island to study the salt marshes. The site gives
background on the park and presents a scavenger hunt challenge. Students are given a list of
organisms to take pictures of and email to me using their smart phones. I was able to implement
the activity twice before changing schools and it was a pleasure to produce something that was
used in practice immediately.
EDTECH 504 is, by design, all about learning theories. I prefer the practical side of things. That
made writing my synthesis paper,How Practice Measures Up To Theory: Instructional
Technology In The Constructivist Classroom,something of a no-brainer. I wanted to examine
the research behind taking the theories and putting them into place in the class. I chose
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constructivist theory because I felt it was a theory that best jived with my teaching style and the
teaching of science. "A core notion of constructivism is that individuals live in a world of their
own personal and subjective experiences. It is the individual who imposes meaning on the world,
rather than meaning being imposed on the individual" (Karagiorgi & Symeou, 2005). I found
that implementing the constructivist theory into teaching is not necessarily a difficult task, but
that the trick is to provide for experiences that students can incorporate into their own schema in
order to produce learning that can be transferred to novel situations, thus allowing me to
incorporate technology into learning experiences in ways that are meaningful and helpful to my
students.
TheWeb 2.0 Tools Implementation Plancreated for EDTECH 512 is exactly what it claims to
be: a plan for implementing the online learning course as part of the school's curriculum for all
9th grade students. The page was created using Adobe DreamWeaver. Because this course is
designed to be online with face-to-face time with the instructor, part of the implementation
involves getting that instructor comfortable with the content and the LMS because to implement
a community of learning once the course is up and running, "instructors need a conceptual
understanding of teaching and learning processes in an online environment" (Davidson-Shivers
& Rasmussen, 2006, p. 279), as well as in the more traditional classroom setting. It includes
answers to many of the questions about work load and institutionalization of the courseware
including technical requirements, technical requirements, time requirements for stakeholders and
a list of necessary steps for keep the learner management system (LMS) operating. As previously
mentioned, using technology--in this case, an online course--only works if most eventualities are
considered and its use is well planned
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3.4: Policies and Regulations
Policies and regulations are the rules and actions of society (or its surrogates) that affect the
diffusion and use of Instructional Technology.
TheFair Use Images Scavenger Huntwas created for EDTECH 502. It simultaneously
demonstrated the concept of an online scavenger hunt, in which sources are provided and
students search for answers to specific answers, but is also designed to be a tool for students to
learn about what kinds of images they are allowed to use legally under copyright law. The
scavenger hunt site was created using custom CSS on Adobe DreamWeaver. The activity is
engaging to students, but uses low-level questioning in order for them to understand basic
concepts. Transfer is assessed by providing scenarios to which students apply these new
concepts. The activity makes learners knowledgeable of regulations for acceptable use of
copyrighted images in the work they produce.
The internet gives everyone a voice. The anonymity of the Web sometimes makes that voice less
than polite. In order for students to make use of the internet for productive means, a set of rules
must be set in place for how they communicate. To this end, I created aNetiquette in School
Message Board Communicationtutorial for EDTECH 502. Using Adobe DreamWeaver, and
demonstrating call-out boxes for the first time, this page is about how students are to have
discussions online without offending anyone or making themselves look foolish by being
uninformed or writing in an unnecessarily informal style, as if writing a text message or tweet.
The set of pointers on netiquette is supplemented by a list of "Posting Rules," which include
"Study beforehand so you know what you're talking about." The purpose of that rule, in
particular, was to reinforce the previously mentioned ICE and CER strategies for writing.
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Standard 4: Management
Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to plan, organize, coordinate, and
supervise instructional technology by applying principles of project, resource, delivery system,
and information management.
4.1: Project Management
Project management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling instructional design and
development projects.
TheResponse to RFPcreated for EDTECH 505, Evaluation for Educational Technologists,
demonstrates project management. The document is a proposal for evaluation of a program
known as "Determining Instructional Purposes (DIP)" for a company known as Far West
Laboratory for Educational and Research Development. The proposal includes an outline of the
evaluation of the new DIP program. It includes an evaluation plan, schedule of tasks for the
evaluation, list of personnel for the evaluation and budget proposal. As DIP is not yet a fully-
realized product, the evaluation is designed to be part of the development of the program, with
the lead evaluator--myself--being a hub in the communication between Far West Laboratory, the
Subject Matter Expert and Coordinators, who will run a test implementation of the program in
teacher preparation programs on Long Island.
Project management is also demonstrated in theOnline Course Proposalfor my EDTECH 512
Web 2.0 Tools online course. This Glogster-created "poster" shows the considerations made
prior to beginning the design of the course. There is a Xtranormal video that introduces the need
for students being instructed in the use of these tools. Learner characteristics, a timeline for the
course and its completion, and other details--including personnel--are all included. This level of
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planning and coordination between stakeholders, even before development has even begun, is a
significant part of project management.
4.2: Resource Management
Resource management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling resource support systems
and services.
Web 2.0 Tools Implementation Plancreated for EDTECH 512 also demonstrates resource
management. In designing the plan for rolling out the online course, important resources
including personnel, hardware, and software are carefully planned out to ensure timely and
efficient procedures once the course goes live. In the section entitled "Management of day-to-day
activities," even the small tasks such as activating links and providing feedback is laid out clearly
so that all personnel understand their roles and are able to perform them fully.
4.3: Delivery System Management
Delivery system management involves planning, monitoring and controlling the method by
which distribution of instructional materials is organized[It is] a combination of medium and
method of usage that is employed to present instructional information to a learner.
"Web 2.0 is about revolutionary new ways of creating, collaborating, editing and sharing user-
generated content online" (Discovery Education, 2014).Web 2.0 Tools Online Coursewas
created for EDTECH 512 using Moodle. It is an online course that uses videos, tutorials, and
written instruction to teach students the use sites that allow users to create products such as
multimedia posters, blogs, screen casts, and other Web 2.0 products. The delivery system is the
Moodle learner management system (LMS). There were many different LMS options available,
but I chose Moodle for the ease of use, portability to other Moodle sites, and the vast amount of
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support material available. I chose to break up the instruction into modules that begin with
instruction on how to use service and end in the ability to practice using the service by creating a
piece that doubles as an assessment for a core content class (science, math, social studies,
English).
In what was possibly the highlight of my time in this program, I created theMolecular
Movement Appfor EDTECH 597, Mobile App Design for Teaching and Learning. This app,
created on the App Inventor platform and designed for use on Android devices, teaches Living
Environment students about the processes of diffusion and osmosis. Molecular Movement
utilizes simulations that show molecules, which cannot be seen by the naked eye, moving around
a space because of how they interact with each other. Students have the ability to adjust settings
like the type of cell being viewed and the size and concentration of molecules. I created this app
to teach these concepts through discovery learning, hoping to allow students to run experiments
with different variables and come to their own conclusions about the rules that govern this type
of movement. However, it was designed while I taught the unit, so I used it instead to review the
concepts and see how well they would perform on the upcoming quiz. The app also has a quiz
section built in that emails the score to the instructor.
4.4: Information Management
Information management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling the storage, transfer, or
processing of information in order to provide resources for learning.
While I like printing out annotated bibliographies for myself while doing research, theZotero
Library Assignmentfrom EDTECH 501 shows a different tactic for gathering sources for later
use. This WordPress post reviews Zotero, which is an online, collaborative tool for compiling
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references when doing research. Zotero allows multiple users to share a resource pool and with
an add-on toolbar, it allows for quick exporting of pre-formatted citations. This would allow
students to work together off of the same set of sources or for teachers to create a curated list of
sources from which students who are just starting to learn how to do research can choose.
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Standard 5: Evaluation
Candidates demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions to evaluate the adequacy of
instruction and learning by applying principles of problem analysis, criterion-referenced
measurement, formative and summative evaluation, and long-range planning.
5.1: Problem Analysis
Problem analysis involves determining the nature and parameters of the problem by using
information-gathering and decision-making strategies.
In theWeb 2.0 Tools Problem and Context Analysisfor EDTECH 512, the initial section is
"Problem analysis". It identifies the problem being addressed by the online course as lack of
student engagement in traditional instruction and assessment. The problem was based off of
anecdotal observational evidence. Using that as a starting point, a decision was made to address
the problem through training in the use of Web 2.0 tools in teaching and learning. The section
goes on to explain that since technology that allows for creation by the user is so omnipresent, it
should also play a role in education. The section concludes with the goal of the instruction,
which is "to remove technology as a barrier of entry to the assessments and make it one more
tool to be used, perhaps one as effortless to use as a pencil." The webpage was created using
Adobe DreamWeaver.
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5.2: Criterion-Referenced Measurement
Criterion-referenced measurement involves techniques for determining learner mastery of pre-
specified content.
In the project-based learning unit,Dealing With Disease,designed for EDTECH 542, rubrics are
used extensively to measure the successful completion of tasks. The unit itself is composed of
multiple learning activities. In order for learners to fully understand the criteria by which they
will be assessed, rubrics are to be provided when the tasks are assigned so they can self-monitor
along the way. There are also quizzes built into the unit to assess learner mastery of content-
specific standards in addition to the performance standards.
5.3: Formative and Summative Evaluation
Formative evaluation involved gathering information on adequacy and using this information as
a basis for further development. Summative evaluation involves gathering information on
adequacy and using this information to make decisions about utilization.
As designed, theAdaptations in the Intertidal Zoneunit written for EDTECH 503 never made it
to the classroom because I changed jobs before I could launch it. Nevertheless, in designing the
unit of instruction, evaluation was planned for all stages. Formative evaluation such as this is not
intended to necessarily determine if the expected outcomes of the instruction have been met, but
rather to decide if further design changes must be implemented prior to full implementation of
the instruction (Smith & Ragan, 2005). For formative assessment, a subject matter expert was
sent the content and asked to fill out a Google Form for feedback. One-to-one evaluations and
small group evaluations with test students were also planned as well as larger-scale field test.
Small changes were proposed by the subject matter expert and would have been implemented.
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TheEvaluation Planningpage from the Web 2.0 Tools online course for EDTECH 512 has all of
the formative evaluation steps as the previous instructional design project. This plan, however,
also includes a summative evaluation plan to determine the effectiveness, efficiency, and appeal
of the courseware. Evaluation criteria such as these are also the focus of formative evaluation by
the designer (myself), the instructor/subject matter expert, an instructional design expert, as well
as other students in the section of 542. This is all in addition to the student feedback from one-to-
one tryouts and small group/field trials. The summative evaluation was designed to see how well
the courseware fulfilled its instructional goals and so changes could be made prior to the next
cycle of implementation.
5.4: Long-Range Planning
Long-range planning that focuses on the organization as a whole is strategic planning. Long-
range is usually defined as a future period of about three to five years or longer. During strategic
planning, managers are trying to decide in the present what must be done to ensure
organizational success in the future.
During my first semester, I wrote aTechnology Use Planning Overviewfor EDTECH 501. I
used this opportunity to summarize and evaluate the need for a systematic process for planning
technology use and integration in a school setting. My experience had been negative to that
point, with large purchases being made without a plan for their use. Not only, I found, does
technology use need to be planned, but also a forward-looking attitude needs to be taken so that
there is room for updates to existing technology as well as openings for newly developed
technology to be adopted. The article, a WordPress post that I wrote, details the process and the
frame of mind that schools should take when planning on adopting new technologies.
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Conclusion
One of the things I have enjoyed most about my time in the Master of Educational Technology
program is that the classes were practical and allowed me to produce instructional materials that
I could use. Some, I even got to use immediately. I enjoyed seeing my students engage with
learning in new ways when they were presented information in novel formats or got to use
technology as they had not before. There are certainly products that were more extensive and that
were used to fulfill several different AECT standards, but that doesn't diminish the importance of
other products. For instance, though they didn't get mentioned, I used several apps created in
EDTECH 597--other than the Molecular Movement--within a week of posting them to the class
Moodle. This instant gratification has made the path of my growth as an educator very
enjoyable.
Having nearly finished my journey with the MET program, I have many tools in my kit to use
for my students. I have also taken the steps towards certification in New York as an Educational
Technology Specialist, a qualification that will allow me to teach students computer applications
and provide professional development to other teachers in how to create and implement
technology-centered learning experiences for their students.
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Clark R.C. & Mayer, R.E. (2011).E-learning and the science of instruction (3rd ed.). San
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Pitler, H., Hubbell, E.R., Kuhn, M. & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom
instruction that works.Denver, CO: McREL.
Smith, P.L. & Ragan, T.J. (2005).Instructional Design (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &
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