An Information Retrieval System for Curriculum Mapping

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An Information Retrieval System for Curriculum
Mapping

• Ursula Wolz
• Department of Computer Science
• Program in Interactive Multimedia
• The College of New Jersey
• Susan Weinman, Stephen Cochrane
• Hopewell Valley Regional School District
• Contact information
• http//hopewell.tcnj.edu/
• wolz_at_tcnj.edu

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ROAD MAP

• Objectives Educational and Software
• Significance Perspectives
• Design evolution working together
• The Prototype
• Results data anomalies query types
• Whats next

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OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE
HVRSD Mission A coherent, sequential curriculum
that reflects essential knowledge, inspires
lifelong learning in a rapidly changing world

• Software Objectives
• Support undergraduate research experience a
  real database problem
• Iterative Design collaborate closely with
  Hopewell staff theory vs. practice
• Innovative interfaces needs drive use
• Balance innovation and stability it cant crash
  or well loose the teachers

• Educational Objectives
• Meaningful dialog enhance collaboration and
  communication among teachers
• Efficiency tools to assist curriculum
  development and refinement
• Analysis resources for multi-modal data
  collection and analysis
• Support initiatives facilitate a culture where
  teachers gain administrative support for grass
  roots change.

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SIGNIFICANCE

• Explicitly address balance between
• Individual privacy
• Collaborative needs
• Institutional security
• Initiating improvement comes from many sources

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PERSPECTIVES WHAT IS CURRICULUM MAPPING

• Technique developed by Heidi Hayes Jacobs (google
  her!)
• Over time teachers note relationship between
  curricular goal, activities and assessment
• Lack of time in Hopewell means
• Teachers meet once per year
• Develop an aggregate map
• Who owns the aggregate map, who can change it?

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PERSPECTIVES WHY DATABASE AND INFORMATION
RETRIEVAL?

• Database technology to create searchable
  entities
• Theme, understanding, content, skills, assessment
• Off-the-shelf, free, technology (mysql, php,
  javascript)
• The data is inherently messy
• use information retrieval rather than database
  search
• Develop theory of standard views

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BEFORE THE DATABASE
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THE VISION

• A database schema that supports
• Complex relationships between entities
• Easy data-entry for entity linking
• Simple query notation
• Multiple views of the database

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THE PROTOTYPE

• A database schema that supports
• A simple schema that relies on information
  retrieval rather than database query
• Wizard-of-Oz to develop theory on questioning
• We kept multiple views of the database

The Hopewell Project Site
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DATA ANOMOLIES

• Skill associated with reference to specific text
  Unit 4, Chapter 3
• Concept taught with reference to time First
  week
• Detail and depth implicit, no distinction between
  grade levels or even quarters Money Time,
  Time, Telling time
• Skill, content, assessment entries
  ambiguous Solve number stories
• Stuff that just didnt make sense Required
  checking with someone

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QUESTIONS WE ANTICIPATED

• What other grade levels teach rocks and minerals?
• What grammar is taught in each grade level?
• How many times are maps taught across the
  curriculum?
• When is oral reading introduced and is it done at
  every grade level?
• Where is the overlap in regards to types of
  writing?
• When in second grade do students revisit telling
  time to the five minute interval?
• When is division mastered?
• Where are 5 paragraph essays introduced?
• What money skills are taught in 1st grade?
• Are mammals taught in any other grade level?
• How thoroughly do our fifth graders investigate
  Matter?

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GOOD QUESTIONS!

• This isn't a query, but I do have a question.  
• How could I ask the 5th grade teachers to switch
  the "American Tour" section of the Everyday Math
  Program with the "World Tour" in the 4th grade
  edition?
• Are the Kindergarten skills verbiage consistent
  with other grade levels?
• Is it possible to have some flexibility when
  teaching science and social studies topics in a
  different order than what is presented on the
  map?
• We really need to track how Native Americans are
  studied K-5...we are supposed to cover it in 4th
  grade, but quite honestly, I never get to spend
  much time on it. Is there a way to query all
  lessons related to Native Americans.
• Can you modify my search on multiplication to
  find out where a traditional approach is taught
  for multiplication?  I don't think the map
  reflects it, but it should be somewhere in 4th
  grade, and also in 5th

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WHERE ARE WE?

• As articulated by Fran, Sue Jen
• First we feel like the maps are somewhat
  disorganized
• Some of the skills are hit or miss
• The curriculum is randomly organized
• We need themes in Science/Social Studies
• Through-lines needed
• Skills/Concepts are too wordy
• The maps should be skills not activities
• Activities could be linked to the map
• Reading, Writing, Grammar skills all need to be
  linked

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WHERE ARE WE GOING?

• Curriculum
• Themes/Assessment
• Social Studies/Science
• Language Arts
• Differentiated Instruction
• State Standards

• Software
• Views, views, views
• Better editing tools
• Demo system
• Production system moved to Hopewell

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Credits

• The Designers
• Peter Babinski
• Stacy Brasol
• Greg Nice
• Michael Locasto
• Michael Hulme
• Michael Massimi
• Ryan Gladysiewics
• Consultants
• Dr. Miroslav Martinovic
• Dr. Nobo Komogata

• Dr. Nick Lorenzetti
• Claire Brusseau
• Patricia Coats
• The teachers
• Ann Marie Anthony
• Marianne Calvo
• Jennifer Dutka
• Lori Gerald
• Susanne King
• Frances M. Maguire
• Deborah M. Nutt
• Elizabeth M. Richtmyer
• Claudia P. Scotti
• Annette R. Stay
• Eileen W. Sweeney
• Dawn F. Wheeler
• W. Lee White

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View of Front Page
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View of Login
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View Maps Example
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View Annotations
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View Complex Search