Instructional design theories are very difficult to tackle, whether you are planning for online or face-to-face learning. From background knowledge, to guided practice, to independent practice each student needs a variety of design theories to be successful in any given lesson. In most classrooms there are a vast array of intellectual abilities. At the very least, finding a way to incorporate different learning experiences into each lesson is a difficult task. Technology has afforded us the opportunity of have an endless supply of resources at our fingertips. The digital resources come into play in situations where students learn different (i.e the special education classroom). The key is using these resources to best meet the needs of students. As we have learned there is a predetermined design theory to help us tailor our lessons.
Thinking with the end in mind is where I began this process of course creation. Not only did I want my students to be successful in mastering the concept, but I also wanted them to gain a since of confidence when using an online platform for learning. In recent years my school has been purchasing technology to aid student development. Where I think they went wrong was not making sure that these programs are best for our students’ benefit. In building my online unit I didn’t want this to be just some additional piece of technology students have access to. I decided to start with my 8th grade students and build a course focused on one unit of the curriculum. The unit is entitled Expressions, Equations and Inequalities and was developed using both the constructivist and cognitivist learning theories.
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a learning hierarchy that is connected to cognitivism. In Bloom’s learners are taken through a varying degree of tasks closely aligned to a learning objective. Math is a building clock that builds on previous knowledge to complete new tasks. As a teacher of special education students, I must walk the tight rope of meeting my students where they are and preparing them to pass a standardized test at the end of the year. Each lesson in my online unit contains a quiz and a discussion post. Students can work at their own pace they just need to make sure they complete the unit by the deadline. The only way the assignments that are present in each lesson makes since is if the lessons are completed in sequential order. I was able to chunk the information in each by using previous coursework.
The UbD design template that was created earlier in our DLL program was very instrumental in planning my lessons. The UbD template had broken down the unit into learning goals, learning activities along with appropriate assessments. I made small adjustments along the way as needed. Going forward I will always create this template because it allows for easy alignment to learning objectives. Technology is not going away. Students need to learn to adapt in ever changing society. The future job market will require people who are technologically savvy and fluent. We must continue to expose our students to technology every chance we get. As educators our classrooms must be environments that foster creativity and self-discovery.
Resources
Bates, T. (2016). Teaching in a digital age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning. British Columbia: SFU Document Solutions.
List of Online Programs
Edgenuity
Parent Digital Citizenship Course
Khan Academy
Reasoning Minds
Connections Academy
Apex Learning
Everfi
Educational Leadership 