Assignments

The course assignments:

Weekly Blog (20 %):
- 13 reflective posts (900+ words) on the class activities, weekly readings, group discussions, etc.
  - Each post is due ideally on Sunday before the class on Monday nights
  - On the weekly blogs you comment on group discussions, class readings, lectures, and most importantly ~ what you think (not what you think I want to hear)!
  - Your first blog (due Jan. 14 ~ at the latest) should include a short bio (who you are, what you do, your passions, why you are taking the course) and also comments on your Flipgrid experience as well as Mayer's text chapter 1.
Peer Teaching Presentation (20 %):
- You will be assigned a chapter to read and will meet with others in your class who have been assigned the same chapter. Your team is responsible to teach the class the main content elements in a presentation of approximately 10–15 minutes (max). Rubric provided. One group will create a face to face presentation while another group will cover the same topic in a virtual flipped class model (i.e. screencast, video, etc.)
- DUE in classes 6 to 10, depending on the night you are presenting. Class 5 will be devoted to working on this assignment.
Analysis of Research Report (10%):
- Form teams of individuals (3 or 4) who read and analyzed same report. Ask team members to compare and synthesize their report analyses ( 5 min. presentation) Template provided .
- DUE: class 4
Online Course (10%); Participation (group discussion rubric)(10%); Twitter rubric) (10%) :
- You will register and complete a mini online course (use edX or any other platform). You will reflect on your progress as a student and make connections/relate to course readings and discussion. As well, what are similarities/differences between the online course and what we are learning in this class re: e-Learning
- Due: Class 10, this should be finished, so you can focus on your major e-Learning project during the last 4 classes. The Twitter and group discussion rubrics are due in week 13.
e-Learning Project or Research Paper (20%):
- You will design, create and deliver (by class 13) an online project (it may be a module, unit, course, etc.). Use appropriate tools as well as SAM (Successive Approximation Model) to help you work through the design & creation process.
- Due to the amount of time involved I strongly recommend that you work in groups of 3 to 4 students. DUE: class 13.
- Here's a simple ~~Google Site designed to help you scafold the project~~. This will be updated by end of January

If you are already involved in research or want to do something very specific then you may write a final term paper (18 - 20 pages) on e-Learning using a specific template I will give you.
If you are considering this option please let me know by class 4 at the latest so I can provide all the necessary details. DUE: ~~class 13~~ (two weeks after last class).

Assignment for class 5: Chapter Presentation

You will be assigned a chapter to read and will meet with others in your class who read the same chapter. Your team is responsible to teach the class the main content elements in a presentation of approximately 10–15 minutes. Your presentation needs to include the following:

Chapter number and title on title slide
Chapter guideline(s): brief statement of each guideline—one per slide
Psychology that supports the guidelines: two or three slides as needed
Evidence supporting each guideline: one or two experimental outcomes
Two examples: one supporting and one violating the guidelines. You can make up the examples using the genetics case content or use examples from existing e-learning lessons.
At least two comprehension questions on slides for the class to prompt their engagement and processing of your presentation.

Presentation Rubric (20%) ~ classes 6 to 9 ~ in teams of 3 or 4

Google Form ~Feedback on Chapter Team Presentations—Sessions 6 – 9:

Rate the effectiveness of the presentation regarding: LOW HIGH
Clarity of presentation of chapter principles 1 2 3 4 5
Description of the psychology behind principles 1 2 3 4 5
Clarity of evidence to support principles 1 2 3 4 5
Effectiveness of examples 1 2 3 4 5
Quality of comprehension questions asked 1 2 3 4 5
Overall, rate the quality of the presentation Incomplete Poor Adequate Good Excellent
What revisions, if any, do you recommend for the team?

Assignment for class 4: Analysis of Research Report (10%) ~ in teams of 3 or 4

Google Form:

Citation of report you reviewed:

Fill in the following information about your report:

Summarize the research question in 1–2 sentences:
Which approaches are used:
- Experimental comparison
- Factorial experimental comparison
- Observational data
- Synthetic
Which criteria of a good experimental study do you see:
- Experimental control
- Random assignment
- Appropriate measures
Describe the subjects.
Describe the topic of the experimental lesson.
Summarize the treatments compared.
How long was the experimental lesson?
What kinds of test(s) were used to measure outcomes?
Summarize the results of the experiment in 2–4 sentences.
Which outcomes were statistically significant? What were the effect sizes?
How does this research (the subjects, topic, tests, etc.) apply or not apply to your own e-learning projects?

Prepare a slide presentation of about 5 minutes to summarize the elements you have identified above for the class.

Here's list of articles to choose from:

Research paper citation alternatives for session 3 assignment and session 4 class work:

Adams, Mayer, MacNamara, Koenig, and Wainess. “Narrative Games for Learning: Testing the Discovery and Narrative Hypotheses.” Journal of Educational Psychology 104 (2012), 235–249.

Butcher, K. R. “Learning from Text with Diagrams: Promoting Mental Model Development and Inference Generation.” Journal of Educational Psychology 98 (2006), 182–197.

Fiorella, L., and Mayer, R. E. “The Relative Benefits of Learning by Teaching and Teaching Expectancy.” Contemporary Educational Psychology 104 (2013), 1074–1082.

Mayer, R. E., Fennell, S., Farmer, L. and Campbell, J. “A personalization Effect in Multimedia Learning: Students Learn Better When Words Are in Conversational Style Rather Than Formal Style.” Journal of Educational Psychology 96 (2004), 389–395.

Mayer, R. E. and Johnson, C.I. “Adding Instructional Features That Promote Learning in a Game-Like Environment.” Journal of Educational Computing Research 42 (2010), 241–265.

Moreno, R. and Ortegano-Layne, L. (2008). “Do Classroom Exemplars Promote the Application of Principles in Teacher Education? A Comparison of Videos, Animations, and Narratives.” Educational Technology Research and Development 56 (2008), 449-465.

Scheiter, K., et al. “The Effects of Realism in Learning with Dynamic Visualizations.” Learning and Instruction 19(6) (2008), 481–494.