Session 6: Development Process Overview

Session 6 

In the previous session you worked as part of a team to conduct an analysis and develop a course plan. In the first activity below you will be asked to use what you learned from that experience to respond to some development tasks.

1. Describe an “Absorb” type activity for one of the objectives in your course plan. 

Absorb activities inform and inspire, they also enable motivated learners to obtain crucial, and to further their learning. In absorb activities learners read, listen, and watch. These activities were used in our group project. In our project activity our learners were able to read notes from the textbook as well from the instructor PDF notes. Learners were also given documentaries to watch in order to further develop their learning knowledge, and to get more information regarding the current objective in the lesson plan. Finally, learners were assigned podcasts to listen, as this explained in detailed what was happening during an specific time in American History. Each module will have podcasts, PDF notes, and documentaries, whether it will be from the assassination of John F. Kennedy to the election of President Obama. 

2. Describe a “Do” type activity for one of the objectives in your course plan.

In our course plan we have assigned a “do-type” of activity which allows the students to practice what they have learned thus far. We have assigned five writing assignments and a final term paper. For example, one of our objectives is for the students to get familiar with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, after reviewing the PDF notes, podcasts and documentary, the students will need to create a discussion describing what they have learned and why it is such an important part of our American history. This will demonstrate the knowledge obtained from all of the readings and how the students are able to apply such information to answer critical questions. 

3. Describe a “Connect” type activity for one of the objectives in your course plan.

Connect activities help students apply learning to new situations they will encounter in their future classes or personal lives. The learner will be able to gain higher-level knowledge and skills through the connect activities. One of our connect activities would be our discussions. In our discussions, learners will be able to interact with other students to help each other fully understand the objectives and lectures. Learners will also be able to answer to their peers discussions and add to their discussion, whether it would be to more information to their answer or to help them fully understand. 

4. Choose one of the above activities and discuss the process you would use to create this presentation. For this task assume that you have no additional assistance other than the instructor who would be able to write content as you describe it and perform for a recording as needed. 

If I were to take an “absorb activity” I would create this presentation by using “storytelling.” My instructor would use either a video or podcast to tell stories remembering an specific time from the course. This will be beneficial because it will grab the students attention right away and will help them remember that specific time if the instructor succeeds at telling the story. This is not only an absorb activity but also a connect activity, as the instructor is providing examples to assist students in connecting with the objectives.

5. Discuss how would your approach for the above task would be different if you were directing the development efforts of a team that included a graphic designer, a video editor and a web programmer along with all of the tools that such a team would typically use. 

My approach for the above task would be different if I had help from a graphic designer, video editor and web programmer because I would be able to create a more interesting story. With the help of a video editor I will be able to create a video instead of a podcast telling the story of that given time. I will also be able to add effects that would make the story even more realistic. And with the help of a graphic designer, I will be able to incorporate pictures of the time to make the story more realistic and engage the learners even more.

6. The text presents test types and presents a list of common types of test questions. In light of these, describe a test that would be appropriate for the class your team planned in the previous session.

A test that would be appropriate for the class my team and I planned would be a multiple choice, True/False, and open ended questions. Multiple choice would give me an idea if the students have been following their reading assignments, or if they have been paying attention to the PDF notes and podcasts, as the questions will be taken from such. As for the True/False questions, in history classes we have encounter many “that might be true but it can’t be true” moments, this will be demonstrate if the learners can distinguish from what it is real to what is not. As for the open ended questions, this will open a new opportunity for the learners to write what they have learned from the course. This will demonstrate the knowledge the student has gained from all of the readings, discussions, podcasts, notes and documentaries. An open-ended question is designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer using the subject’s own knowledge and/or feelings.