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Interactive and Collaborative Learning Environments
Statement of Intent for This Lesson
Interactive and collaborative learning environments can be very beneficial to student learning for several reasons, but mostly they enable the classroom to become more learner-centered.
- Students are more inclined to be interested and active in the learning process.
- Students can develop a sense of community among peers.
- Students are given an opportunity to construct their own knowledge base.
- Students can develop multiple learning capabilities better.
This instructional design will concentrate on helping teachers to understand and be able to design these types of learning environments.
Topics to Be Covered in This Lesson
Interactive Learn and Do Environments
Interactive learn and do environments are beneficial for students who are studying subjects that involve assessment activities that are based on knowledge and skills learned in the classroom. Learning and doing are combined into the learning process which allows for ongoing assessment of student knowledge and skills in the classroom. These types of environments work well when students are working alone, in pairs or in groups of more than two. Understanding the concepts of interactive learning is a prerequisite to understanding paired and collaborative learning.
Paired Learning Environments
Paired learning is useful when students are not ready for working in larger groups. College freshmen, or any student who is new to collaborative activities, are excellent candidates for paired collaboration. Students won't feel so overwhelmed when working in pairs.
Group Learning Environments
Group learning is useful when students are ready to work in groups of 3 or more. Group collaboration works well for authentic assessment activities that provide students with real-life problems.
Needs Assessment
Instructional Problem
Teachers need to understand interactive and collaborative instructional design and how they can be utilized effectively in learner-centered environments, especially in subject areas that involve teaching students real-life skills and hands-on learning activities. Many college teachers have never studied educational theory and practice and are weak in implementing this form of instructional design. High school teachers who have been teaching for many years may have not have taught this format as well.
Nature of What Is to Be Learned
Teachers will learn how interactive and collaborative learning environments can improve student learning.
Learner Profile
The learners for this course will be teachers who have not studied or practiced interasctive and collaborative learning in their classrooms. Teachers taking this lesson will be teachers of secondary and college grade levels. Secondary teachers may be in training or in service and who have completed at least a bachelor's degree in education and/or graduate studies. College teachers will have at least a master's degree in their area of study and some teaching experience. All participants should have a desire to improve student learning in their classes by implementing interactive and collaborative learning.
Instructional Context
The instructional environment can be in the classroom or online in Blackboard CE 6. Teachers will be participating in collaborative and individual learning activities. Assessment activities will include reflection, discussion and instructional design assignments. I chose reflection and discussion so that participants could share learning and assist each other on assignments. Instructional design assignments will be based on knowledge learned in each unit.
Sources and Tools
Educational materials will be journal articles, short lectures, text books, online videos from Annenberg Media, (http://www.learner.org/index.html), and case studies. The reading material covers a wide range of information about the subject matter. The videos are excellent for content and case studies. Case studies will be examples of instructional design.
Task Analysis and Learning Outcomes
Understanding Goals
- Interactive Learn and Do: Teachers will understand how “learn and do” activities can improve student learning.
- Paired Learning: Teachers will understand how paired learning activities can improve student learning.
- Group Learning: Teachers will understand how group learning activities can improve student learning.
Performances of Understanding
- Interactive Learn and Do: Teachers will demonstrate that they can design a lesson that includes a lecture and activities which allow the students to apply the new knowledge or skills in the learning environment.
- Paired Learning: Teachers will demonstrate that they can design a collaborative assessment tool that pairs students together.
- Group Learning: Teachers will demonstrate that they can design a collaborative assessment tool that a groups (more than 2) of students work on together.
Sequence of Instruction
I chose this sequence of topics because they follow a natural pattern. The interactive learn and do content is useful for the paired learning topic. The paired learning content is useful for the group learning topic.
Lesson One: Interactive Learn and Do
- Learning Objective: Teachers will understand how “learn and do” activities can improve student learning.
- Learning Resources: Journal articles, books, short lecture, video, case study example.
- Assessment Activities: Instructional design assignment, discussion, reflection
Lesson Two: Paired Learning
- Learning Objective: Teachers will understand how paired learning activities can improve student learning.
- Learning Resources: Journal articles, books, short lecture, video, case study example.
- Assessment Activities: Instructional design assignment, discussion, reflection.
Lesson Three: Group Learning
- Learning Objective: Teachers will understand how group learning activities can improve student learning.
- Learning Resources: Journal articles, books, short lecture, video, case study example.
- Assessment Activities: Instructional design assignment, discussion, reflection.
Instructional Curriculum Map
Resources and References
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