EDPE 535 - Assignments

Evaluation / Assignments

Course expectations and requirements include:

active classroom participation; timely completion of assignments.
reading of assigned articles, research, writing, a collaborative programming project, and a demonstration of technical fluency.
creative thinking, problem solving, risk taking, humour and joyful exploration will be valued highly.
attendance at all classes is expected, learning and playing with technology requires considerable time and practice, it is therefore important that you will attend ALL classes. A bonus mark will be given for perfect attendance.

Assignments and Grading:

Participation and Attendance (self-eval): 10%
Weekly Readings and Reflections (blogs): 20% & 20%
Design Project: 30%
- Needs Assessment: 5 m described below
- Instructional Design Unit: 10m
- Presentation & Portfolio: 15m

Weekly Labs: 20%
- deliverables: 15%
- Mayer: 5% (lab 7?)

We will use MyCourses for assignment submission and feedback.

MyCourses forum will be used to write the bi-weekly blogs.

Due class 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 (one week after the end of the course)

Evaluation criteria:

4.5 The blog post has all the required components (reflection on readings, articles, discussion, lab activities, etc). It uses correct spelling and grammar, has a clear, original point, and backs it up with specific evidence. It opens up possibilities for future discussion.
4.25 The blog entry has most of the required components (reflection on readings, articles, discussion, lab activities, etc). It often uses correct spelling and grammar (but with occasional mistakes)
4.0 The blog entry has many of the required components (reflection on readings, articles, discussion, lab activities, etc). It uses correct spelling and grammar (but with occasional mistakes)
3.75 The blog entry lacks many of the required components (reflection on readings, articles, discussion, lab activities, etc). It does not have a clear point, lacks specific examples, or has many spelling and grammar errors.
Post bi-weekly entries on MyCourses discussion forum.

Reflective Online Blog (journal) (20%)

Please use the following suggestions / directions for your bi-weekly blog:

Expectations: Reflections (Blogs? ) should be 1-2 pages long, demonstrating critical thinking and personal engagement with the material. Students should connect the readings to their own experiences and future instructional design projects. Six bi-weekly blogs. 1st blog due after the 3rd class (Jan. 20)
Give each entry a catchy title. Make sure you use the weekly 'tag'(i.e. My Biography).
The blog is worth 20 marks and usually makes a difference between a B+ or an A- or an A. Your MUST relate what we do in class (discussion, lab activities, what I say, etc.) with the course textbook and other class readings.
Sometimes throughout the course you will be asked to react to one of the readings specifically. The instructions will be given by Sam during the given week. Your entry for the week should be longer than usual (i.e. an extra paragraph or two specifically referencing the article). You may use one or more of the following prompts, if you’re looking for inspiration:
What's good? What did you find interesting or insightful about the reading? Did you appreciate their presentation of the theory, example applications or demonstrations, or their analysis and evaluation?
What's bad? What did you find confusing or unsupported in the work? Did they present theory without evaluation, or did the topic seem poorly developed and trivial?
- Were there flaws or problems they didn't adequately address?
- What did you learn today?
- How do you feel about instructional design? (more/less comfortable)
- What was the most useful/meaningful thing you learned in today's class?How could you apply the content of today's class in your personal, academic, or future professional life?
- Was technology mentioned or used in your other classes?
- What did you contribute to today's class?

Instructional Design Project (30%)

Part 1: Needs Assessment

Description: Students will conduct a needs assessment for an educational context of their choice (e.g., a specific classroom, school, or educational program). This project involves identifying the learning needs, gaps, and goals of the target audience.
Components:
- Context Analysis: Describe the educational setting and target audience.
- Data Collection: Use surveys, interviews, or observations to gather data on learning needs.
- Analysis and Findings: Analyze the data to identify key learning needs and gaps.
- Report: Write a report summarizing the findings and proposing potential instructional interventions.
Expectations: The report should be 5-7 pages long, well-organized, and include data analysis, findings, and recommendations.
Peer Feedback: Students will present their needs assessment findings to a peer group for feedback and suggestions for improvement.
This part is worth 25% of the final design project mark

Part 2: Instructional Design Unit:

Description: Students will design an instructional unit or module based on the needs assessment conducted earlier. This project involves creating detailed instructional materials and plans.

Components:
- Learning Objectives: Clearly defined objectives aligned with the needs assessment.
- Instructional Strategies: Description of the instructional strategies and methods to be used.
- Materials and Resources: Development of instructional materials (e.g., lesson plans, multimedia resources, handouts).
- Assessment Plan: Design of formative and summative assessments to measure learning outcomes.
- Implementation Plan: Plan for implementing the instructional unit in the educational setting.
Expectations: The instructional design project should be comprehensive, with all components clearly articulated and aligned. The final submission should be 10-15 pages long, including all materials and plans. ---> may be done on Google Sites or on Adobe Express (using the webpage option)
Peer Feedback: Drafts of the instructional design project will be shared with peers for feedback and suggestions for refinement.
This part is worth 33% of the final design project mark

Part 3. Design Presentation

Description: At the end of the course, students will present their instructional design projects to the class. This presentation will include an overview of their needs assessment, instructional design, and assessment tools. (Showcase? Classes 11 to 13 ?)
Components:
- Presentation: A 10-15 minute presentation summarizing the key components of the instructional design project.
- Visual Aids: Use of slides, handouts, or other visual aids to enhance the presentation.
- Q&A: A brief question and answer session with the audience.
Expectations: The presentation should be clear, concise, and well-organized. Students should be prepared to discuss their design choices and respond to questions from peers and the instructor.
Peer Feedback: After the presentations, peers will provide constructive feedback on the projects.(Google Forms)
This part is worth 33% of the final design project mark

Instructional Design Project: 30%

- needs assessment (5%);
- instructional design unit (10%)
- presentation & digital showcase: (15%) on Google Sites OR Adobe Express (webpage option)

Participation & Attendance (10%)

Description: Active participation in class discussions, activities, and group work is essential.

Attendance is also crucial as it ensures engagement with the course material and collaboration with peers.
Expectations: Students are expected to attend all classes, participate actively in discussions, contribute to group activities, and engage with the course content.

Students will complete a self-evaluation rubric at the end of the course. I added the Bluesky requirements here.

Perusall Readings (20 %)

Description: Each week, students will be assigned readings from the course textbooks and selected articles.

They will highlight and comment on the readings, discussing key insights, questions, and how the material applies to their instructional design practice.

Weekly Labs (20%)

Details given during the first class.

We may have an asynchromous class (7?)

Bluesky Twitter (5 marks? )

3 or 4 posts. Here's self evaluation rubric to be completed at the end of semester

Grading:

The default mark for this course is a B+ OR A- (assuming you attend all classes and complete required course work successfully). A's are reserved for work of superior quality.

“McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore, all students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures (see http://www.mcgill.ca/integrity for more information).

If you have a disability please contact the instructor to arrange a time to discuss your situation. It would be helpful if you contact the Office for Students with Disabilities at 398-6009 or online at http://www.mcgill.ca/osd) before you do this.”

Additional policies governing academic issues which affect students can be found in the Handbook on Student Rights and Responsibilities, Charter of Students’ Rights (online at http://www.mcgill.ca/deanofstudents/rights/).

In accord with McGill University’s Charter of Students’ Rights, students in this course have the right to submit in English or in French any written work that is to be graded.

Students are strongly encouraged to fill out the MERCURY ONLINE EVALUATION for this course at the end of term. Online course evaluations serve primarily as a tool towards teaching improvement, informing students about courses, and as one of the elements for evaluating the teaching performance of staff for reappointment, tenure and promotion purposes. For more information consult the following link: http://www.mcgill.ca/tls/courseevaluations/mercury/.”

Here is McGill’s numeric and letter grade equivalents: