Fig. 1. Kids learning technology (Source: Stockcake.com, n.d.)

Rationale

School districts are increasingly turning to digital learning platforms to offer learning experiences to their youngest learners. Pre-Kindergarten teachers don't always know how to access and use data from these platforms to inform small group instruction in their classrooms. This minicourse will increase teachers' knowledge and confidence in using assessment data from one such digital learning platform--Hatch Insights™

Target Audience

This minicourse will target Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) Pre-K teachers using the Hatch Insights™ online learning software in their classrooms.

Minicourse Objective

This course will assist teachers to successfully utilize student performance data on Hatch Insights™  to plan for and implement small group instruction in their classrooms.  Hatch Insights™ is the teacher platform associated with the Hatch Insights™ online learning software.

Minicourse Modules

The minicourse will consist of three modules:

Module 1: Navigating Hatch Insights™ platform in order to access its resources to plan for targeted small-group instruction

Module 2: Develop a personalized schedule and system to implement and gather data on small-group instruction during the Pre-kindergarten day. The module will include peer feedback through in-person collaborative discussions. 

Module 3: Teachers engage in "field work" as they implement small-group instruction in their classroom for the next two instructional weeks. They will gather formative assessment data regarding student performance during small group instruction. Teachers will come together with their teaching teams to discuss their findings and make necessary adjustments to instruction. 

Format of delivery

This is a hybrid minicourse. The first two modules will consist of on-demand, asynchronous online course materials that must be completed within a given time frame. The third module will have teachers engage in reflective real-life application of knowledge and skills gained from the first two modules. During this time, synchronous or in-person discussions will take place among the teachers where they will problem-solve, reflect on and share personal examples of how they have been utilizing data in the design of small group instruction. 

The final summative assessment will be in the form of an online teacher portfolio describing the following items: (1) a personalized schedule for planning and implementing small group instruction in the classroom, (2) a simple personalized recording and collection system for assessment data gathered during small group instruction, and (3) recommendations on next steps needed to further promote student progress. 

This section discusses the strengths and limitations of three learning theories--andragogy, cognitivism, and constructivism, as they apply to this minicourse. 

Learning Theory 01: Andragogy

Andragogy is a good match for this minicourse due to the course's target audience being adults--specifically Pre-K teachers that use Hatch Insights™ in the classroom with their students. 

Strengths

• The teachers will find this minicourse relevant and immediately useful to their profession. They will be able to practice these skills in the context of their current Pre-K teaching assignment.

• The course will be motivating for the teachers, since it simplifies the planning process by using  an online resource (i.e., Hatch Insights™) already available to them.
  
  

Limitations

• Adults, especially teachers, have many demands put on them and are pulled in many different directions. Finding the time to commit to another course may feel overwhelming. This can be addressed by integrating this minicourse into regular grade-level collaborative planning time. A case can also be made to the teachers that this minicourse will actually help streamline their planning process. 

Learning Theory 02: Cognitivism

The minicourse with its heavy focus on procedural knowledge, lends well to cognitivism--specifically the Cognitive Load Theory by Sweller, which facilitates long term memory by reducing the load on working memory (Spencer, 2022; Soloman, H., n.d.).

Strengths

• The concept of chunking of information through separate module topics can assist the teachers in gaining confidence and mastery as they succeed through each step of the process. 

• The theory's emphasis on clear instructions and reduction of redundant information will facilitate the easy acquisition of new procedural content. 

• Flexibility of learning is provided in that teachers who already know rudimentary steps in the process have the liberty to skip these and proceed to areas they feel a greater need to pursue. 

• Multi-media presentation of the content (via text, images, and/or audio) can further aid in differentiating instruction.

Limitations

• Cognitivism does not fully account for social interactions in learning. This limitation will be addressed by building in bi-monthly collaborative meetings with fellow Pre-K teachers to discuss data utilization and student progress.

• Due to the scope of this course and the procedural nature of the content, there may not be a wide variety of options on how the teachers can access the same information. Course design will try to compensate for this by incorporating at least two different multi-modal forms of instruction (e.g., images with text) 

Learning Theory 03: Constructivism

Constructivism or social learning theory is another good match for this mini-course since the course will be incorporating peer collaborative learning and evaluation. 

Strengths

• Constructivism can address the shortcoming of Cognitivism to account for social interaction in this mini-course. Constructivism fosters higher-order thinking skills such as collaboration, analysis, problem solving, and reflection which are important skills to have for teachers when designing and adjusting classroom instruction. 

• Constructivism's focus on active learner engagement and well as situated learning will help facilitate meaningful participation and motivation among learners. 

Limitations

• Constructivist strategies such as collaborative learning require a greater time commitment, which will be challenging to implement for time-strapped teachers. This mini-course will attempt to address this by incorporating the course into already established and scheduled teacher collaborative planning sessions in the school building. 

The following section discusses the application of these three learning theories to the minicourse design.

Application 01: Andragogy

• Real-life application - the teachers will be given several weeks to schedule and apply their personalized system of utilizing data to inform small group instruction in their classrooms. 

• Discussion - incorporate time for thoughtful discussion along the way where the teachers can share amongst themselves how they've applied these procedural skills to weekly small group instruction. They can likewise seek solutions together for problems and challenges along the way. 

• Celebrating personal accomplishments - allow for celebrations of weekly wins on ways they have been utilizing Hatch Insights™ data to inform small group instruction. The teachers can also share observations of progress in their students. 

• Set their own learning goals - the teachers can formulate their personal reasons for participating in the minicourse. They will write about what they hope to achieve at the end of the course or how they hope it will help them manage their existing work load. 

• Formative Assessment - The teachers will engage in self-assessment and reflection through certain parts of the minicourse. 

• Summative Assessment - The teachers will revisit their personal learning goals and reflect on how they have succeeded in meeting these goals. They will likewise identify steps they can take to further improve their practice.

Application 02: Cognitivism

• Tasks will be presented in a simple yet clear way

• Chunking - content will be broken down and presented in smaller parts that will demonstrate each step of the process. 

• Use of multi-media elements - steps in the process will be presented using text and visuals, paired closely to each other.

• Reducing extraneous cognitive load - presentation will use a minimal amount of text, accompanied by a video or image to demonstrate the idea/process.

• Flexibility of learning process - teachers further in the process will be able to skip over more rudimentary material. Teachers also have the ability to return to and review past material in the course. 

• A visual job aid will provide the teachers with quick access to needed information. 

• Sample visual templates will model possible strategies teachers can use to organize the data utilization and small-group planning process.

• Active learning - the teachers will actively participate in the process of accessing and utilizing Hatch Insights™ data to inform small group instruction. 

• Formative Assessment - the teachers will be asked to explain their thought processes in developing small group instruction in the classroom given the framework of the minicourse. 

Application 03: Constructivism

• Cooperative learning - the teachers will engage in peer discussions of small-group instruction plans and decision-making. 

• Situation Learning - The content and nature of this mini-course will have learners apply knowledge and skills to real-world scenarios in their work place---which is designing effective small group instruction for the classroom.

• Formative Assessment - Both self-assessment and peer evaluation will be utilized to provide learners constructive feedback regarding their progress through this course. 

Images

• Kids learning technology. AI image generated by Stockcake.  https://stockcake.com/i/kids-learning-technology_480134_437440?signup=true

Text

• Soloman, H. (n.d.). Cognitive Load Theory (John Sweller). InstructionalDesign.org. https://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/cognitive-load/  

• Spencer, J. (2022, November 15). The Surprising Reason Students Tune Out Lectures [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhcgYgx7aAA