Online Course Development and Constructivist Teaching Strategies

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Online Course Developmentand Constructivist
Teaching Strategies

• Susan M. Zvacek, Ph.D.
• 2006

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Topics

• The 3-Step Process for Online Lesson Planning
• Integrating Constructivist Teaching Strategies
• Question/Answer Time

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Three Steps to Lesson Planning

1. What do I want my students to be able to do as a
   result of this lesson/unit/course?
2. What sorts of activities will help them to gain
   these skills?
3. How will I know if they have mastered the skills
   I identified in Question 1?

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Step 1. Identifying Outcomes

• Focus on what students are doing to learn
  content
• Guide for selecting instructional strategies and
  for assessment
• Shared with students
• Observable, measurable results

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Action Words for Outcomes

• Blooms Taxonomy Levels (cognitive)
• Knowledge define, identify, match, list
• Comprehension summarize, translate
• Application apply, construct, solve
• Analysis compare, infer, diagram
• Synthesis design, generate, modify
• Evaluation appraise, defend, judge

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Step 2. Instructional Strategies

• Gain Attention
• Inform Learners of Objectives
• Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning
• Present Content
• Guide Learning

• Opportunities to Practice New Skills
• Provide Feedback
• Assess Progress Toward Objectives
• Enhance Retention and Transfer

Robert Gagnes 9 Events of Instruction
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Step 3. Assessing Learner Progress

• Reinforcing important concepts and skills
• Providing practice with new skills
• Identifying and correcting misconceptions
• Providing feedback on performance
• Motivating students to keep up
• Diagnosing readiness for advanced work

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Key Assessment Concepts

• Are assessments aligned with course
  goals/objectives?
• Consider creating and using rubrics
• Consider offering students flexibility in how
  theyll demonstrate mastery
• How about including some not-for-credit
  assessments?

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Constructivism Concepts

• Focus is on students active role in his/her own
  learning
• Meaning is constructed in the individual (not
  transmitted from outside)
• Learner reflection on content
• Learner organization of content
• Emphasis on personal relevance to learner

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Constructivist Teaching Strategies

• What are students doing to learn? (Not What am
  I doing to teach?)
• Require student participation and engagement
• Provide choices (content, assessment, sequencing,
  pacing, etc.)

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Constructivist Teaching Strategies

• Recognize student contributions
• Emphasize metacognition (thinking about our
  thinking)
• Consider motivational strategies

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Motivation

• Attention What hooks them in?
• Relevance How is this related to a world
  beyond this course?
• Confidence What sorts of success experiences
  will be meaningful?
• Satisfaction What might generate a long-term
  positive attitude toward the content?

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Summary

• Using the Big 3 model as a starting point
• Constructivist theory as a base for student
  engagement
• Helping students persist by including
  motivational elements

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szvacek_at_ku.edu