Multimedia Design Project Assessment (MDPA) Report Product URL: http://greatestbiometrip.weebly.com Analysis In the Analysis section you examine the context of the learning environment, the learners themselves, and establish learning objectives for the project. The analysis should provide you with clear statement of learning objectives and a sense of the constraints you will need to consider as you design and implement the project (for instance, if the classroom only has one computer that is hooked up to the internet, then this will need to be developed as a part of station rotation or perhaps an entire class project/webquest as opposed to individual or small group work). Questions you ll want to address in the analysis include, but may not be limited to: Learner Analysis Diverse learner characteristics and needs age, reading level, language ability, technical capabilities, previous experience with project-based learning or small group learning. (PSC 2.5, 2.6) The learners for the webquest can be but may not be limited to seventh grade students who are 11-13 year olds. The reading level of the students should be between 5 grade or above. Students need to know how to operate a computer. Context Analysis Class characteristics number of students, organization of the class schedule (how much time do you have with them, how flexible is it, etc.) (PSC 2.5) The class characteristics of the class are mostly African Americans and Hispanics. Student population is approximately 28 students. The population of student abilities range from lower performing students to gifted students. Class time is roughly 75 minutes everyday. Technical considerations access to technology, special accommodations that need to be made to do a project that is web-based (PSC 2.5). Is any
adaptive or assistive technology necessary for students with special needs? (PSC 3.4) The only technology needed is a desktop, laptop or tablet to log on the Webquest. Teacher characteristics technology proficiency, comfort in using technology Standards State or local content and technology standards (NETS-S) S7L4. Students will examine the dependence of organisms on one another and their environments. e. Describe the characteristics of Earth s major terrestrial biomes (i.e. tropical rain forest, savannah, temperate, desert, taiga, tundra, and mountain) and aquatic communities (i.e. freshwater, estuaries, and marine). ELACC7W4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1 3 above.) ELACC7W6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources. NETS-S 1. Basic operations and concepts Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems. Students are proficient in the use of technology. NETS-S 3. Technology productivity tools Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works. NETS-S 5. Technology research tools Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources. Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
Task Analysis Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks. Learning Objectives both cognitive objectives (what Essential Questions are you addressing, what do you want them to walk away knowing and being able to do) and dispositional objectives (i.e. work in small groups). (PSC 2.1) The student learning objectives is for students to know the characteristics of climate, vegetation, animal life and location of each biome. Students may work in cooperative groups of up to three students. 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) To create the greatest biome trip webquest I used weebly.com to create the webquest because it is user friendly and easy to navigate. I chose this area of the curriculum because it is a creative way for students to master the content without them really knowing that they are learning. We teach biomes early in the school year, so I would like to use this webquest as a review towards the end of the school year for the CRCT. Blueplanetbiomes.com is an all-inclusive website that has the majority of the information that the students need to complete their biome book. Details Describe how will you differentiated content, process, product or learning environment to meet the diverse needs of all students. (PSC 2.5) Your project should adhere to Universal Design principles. Universal Design (UD) is an approach to the design of all products and environments to be as usable as
possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability, or situation. Please include at least two UD strategies in your multimedia project. (PSC 2.6) Identify if this is an individual assignment or designed for small or large groups what multimedia elements did you use? The multimedia elements should be appropriate to the curriculum, support the instruction, and produce an overall effective learning experience. (PSC 2.6) Also, describe how you could use adaptive or assistive technologies as a resource to support students with visual, auditory, or physical disabilities. (PSC 3.4) Students are allowed to work in groups up to three people. The multimedia webquest meets the elements needed for students to master the state writing and science standards. There are audio clips and headphones for students with visual and auditory needs. Development The Development section describes how actually developed the project. What was your timeline for getting it done? What tools did you use (and perhaps have to learn) in order to complete the development of the project? (HTML, LMS, Wiki, Blog, Google Pages, etc.) (PSC 3.3, 6.1) During the development process, doublecheck to ensure the Internet links work, documents download properly, and video and audio is embedded correctly. (PSC 3.5) The development for this project took some brainstorming and planning. The timeline to get the webquest complete was four weeks. This webquest is a comprehensive project of all the assignments that we completed during the last six weeks. I have learned how to evaluate webquests; revise flyers to clients; hand code HTML sites; create and edit audio and video clip using various software programs. For the Greatest Biome Trip Webquest I used weebly, Vocaroo, and imovie to create the project. Implementation The Implementation section describes how you propose to implement this in a real classroom (a reminder that full implementation is not a requirement for this project, though it s great if you can do it). (PSC 6.3). If you actually implement the project, then describe in detail what you actually did. If you were unable to implement the project, what resources will you need? What will you need to arrange in advance (lab time, access to websites, switching class times with other teachers, technical support, etc.)? (PSC 3.1, 3.2, 3.5) What classroom management strategies will you use for managing students and the use of digital tools and resources? (PSC 3.2) What s the timeline for the WebQuest? Will students work on it daily or over a long stretch of time? What will students
do at school vs. do at home? Describe strategies for how you will ensure equitable access to the Internet while implementing the WebQuest? (PSC 4.1) Will you work with or collaborate with other teachers? (PSC 3.7) If so, what will be their roles? In the Teacher Notes page of the WebQuest, please describe possible implementation and differentiation strategies that other teachers might implement when using the WebQuest. (PSC 2.5) Due to the summer semester, I did not have the opportunity to implement this webquest with students. When implementation occurs I will need 15 to 30 electronic devices (i.e. laptops, desktops or tablets) the number will range because some students will be working on the projects together. All electronic devices will need to be scheduled in advanced over a 10-day span. To eliminate theft or damaged electronic devices, students will need to sign out a particular device corresponding with the number located on it and will return it at the end of each class period. Students are to always have two hands on the device to prevent items from falling; there is also no eating or horse playing around in the classroom when electronic devices are present. The time frame up left up to the teacher, but I will have the students work on it for 10 days. If students are working in groups, it would be my recommendation to split the biomes up evenly. Since the webquest is online, student are welcome to work on it at home or come before or stay after to use computer if they do not have them at home. 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 Describe what you actually did to assess student learning (if you were able to do that) along with the outcomes of that evaluation. What product will students be expected to produce to demonstrate their learning? How did/will you assess how/if students learned what you wanted them to learn? Pre-test / post-test? Rubric (usually included as part of a WebQuest)? Did/will students do any selfassessment or peer-assessment? If so, what would that look like (walk-bys, rubric completion, I like, Things that could be improved. )? Did/will you be taking notes or assessing throughout the project or just upon completion? (PSC 2.7) Students are required to create a mini travel book of all the biomes and must include the following: biome location, climate, clothing and special equipment, things to do, native animals and plants, and lastly environmental issues of the biome. In conjunction with the webquest students will having daily bellringers and informal assessments over the biomes. This way the teacher can have an idea
of what needs to be recovered later on in the unit. Students will be evaluated based on the rubric in the Webquest. Product Design How do/will you know if the project itself is well designed? (PSC 2.6) Did/will you take notes as students us it? Video or audiotape students as they use it to see where they have difficulties or misunderstandings? Did/will you have them complete some sort of evaluation or feedback form? If you won t be able to implement this project with your entire class during the semester, then this type of evaluation will need to be conducted with 3-4 students of the target audience and will be in the form of a usability test. For now, think about who might be that target audience and when you might conduct a usability or pilot test with them. What are some of the questions you might want addressed by a pilot or usability test (i.e. Is the task clear? Is the reading level appropriate? Do the multimedia elements enhance the WebQuest or are they just add-ons to have them there?) Provide 1-2 images of students/pilot testers using the product. Reflection Reflect on this project around four aspects: Project Development What did you learn as a result of developing this project (technically, tools used, timeline, planning, etc.). What did you do that worked well? What didn t? What would you do differently (in terms of building the WebQuest) if you were to do this again? Instructional Design Discuss the WebQuest as a structure for student learning (or whatever project structure you ended up doing)? What worked well? What might have been improved? What influenced your choices as to how to incorporate the multimedia elements? Looking back, are there other or better choices you might have made? Personal Growth What did you learn about yourself as a result of this project? This can include skills, frustration level, ability to push your own envelope, yourself as a teacher and yourself as a technology facilitator. For Others From this experience, what would you suggest to other teachers/colleagues who might want to consider doing something similar? What is important for them to know? What would help them succeed? I have learned a lot since completing this project. In the beginning of this course I did not know what a webquest was let alone know how to create one. Each week I was provided the opportunity to practice the skills that I would need for the project development and instructional design of the
webquest. I believe the content of the webquest worked well in my favor. The video portion of the project was rather difficult. I could never get my programs to work when I needed it to. If I had to do this differently, I would research and observe various web quests to get a better understanding of what a webquest is and what they are suppose to look like. I believe that students need to have an authentic task associated with their learning. When they take on a role of something or tasks feels meaningful the students perform better. Looking back, I wish I had more time to incorporate more interactive or animated elements into the project. As far as personal growth, I did not know I had the ability to create such a project. It has also taught me that I am still a procrastinator after all these years. I can never find enough time in the day to complete the entire task that I want to complete. There are numerous teachers who want to try something different in their classrooms to keep the students engaged in learning but struggle with the technology aspect. Now that I have begun my instructional technology training I would recommend they reach out to their instructional technologist for guidance and assistance. It is important for teachers to know that projects or assignments with themes and some type of role playing provides the students the opportunity to use their imagination and assume the role of a professional. This type of learning makes for authentic learning.