Documentation:Learning Design/Janet's Page

Please choose two activities that you use or have used in your designs and answer the following questions: · How would you characterize this design and why do you think it is successful?

· What is the role of the facilitator/instructor, what is the learners' role?

· Under what conditions does this activity work and under what conditions does it not (i.e facilitation, learning environment)

· What are the barriers you see to the success of this design (i.e.constraints/costs/org/time factors)?

· How can we share these practices as a department and then with others?

ACTIVITY ONE

1.

Group Discussions and Pairs to assess or create a “product” using an “expert” product as a template or exemplar of practice

It is successful because of the following:

· Students centered: built in flexibility for students to choose the “product” they want to learn to assess or create within the context of the course

· Authentic : students need these skills for their work, or even personal life

· Collaborative : includes group and paired activities

· Awareness of the range of products available, good and bad. Exposes students to a number of different products so their awareness of the products applicability and quality is strengthened.

· Interesting: requires higher order levels of thinking

2.

Facilitator role is to:

· Ensure the contract or waiver which is posted is exemplary, current, and related to event management (if not provided in the course materials).

· Ensure the students have understood clearly all of the positive attributes of the contract or waiver in the group discussion by directing the discussion as needed. A summary of the first discussion could ensure this.

· Organize paired and group discussions

· Facilitate the discussions.

· Provide appropriate feedback to the assignment

Learner role is:

· Complete readings as assigned

· Participate in group and paired discussions within the timelines provided

· Exchange information with partners and groups in a timely fashion

· Work collaboratively and provide constructive feedback to their partner and class mates

· Reflect on the process of working with their partner and one the contracts and waiver summaries posted by the class

· Hand in a written assignment

3.

This activity works well when

there is a tangible product that students must use within their field of study and the quality of this product often varies. In order to work , this product must have some qualities or attributes that can be clearly explained and demonstrated with an exemplar product. This information can then act as the template by which other products are measured. For example, this learning template could be used across academic fields from assessing the quality of piece of art and designs of experiment to the quality of a piece of writing. On some occasions, there may be an opportunity for the students to end the learning process with the creation of their own product.

4.

This activity would flounder

when the role of the student or paired evaluation of each other work is not clear and students don’t buy in to the process. This problem is addressed in the formative evaluation step as the students are asked to include a paragraph about what they learned from their class mate and/or during the peer evaluation step. The instructor also has to ensure enough time is allowed for the activity.

5.

The organizational constraints

are largely time. As the process has multiple stages, you must design the activity over a longer period of time, at least two weeks, with more time given for submitting the assignment. It also requires the development of a collegial, collaborative environment which includes peer evaluation.

6.

'How to share with others

I would like to see feedback from this design after it has been used in some courses. With verification that the students like the activity, the structure could be shared with others.

Here is the activity presented using the 5 Ps of instruction. In my current course development, this template or some variation is being used to assist students in developing the skills to assess the quality of a waiver and the contents of a contract for event management.

Activity1

Preparation

· Course module includes a brief paragraph outlining what a contract/ waiver is and why it is important (relevance, why is this important, create interest and motivation to learn)

· Get the students to think about contracts or waivers that they have encountered in their life or work (eliciting prior knowledge)

Presentation:

· Pre reading focus questions: study tool, help learner focus on essential elements of the reading and given criteria for assessing the product

· Reading: describes the essential elements and criteria for assessing the elements of a worthy contract or waiver

Activity 2 (Group Discussion) Presentation and Participation

· Example: Tutor provides an expert or excellent version of the product (contract or waiver) to groups of students 8 to 10 and asks the students to apply the given structure or criteria from the reading to evaluate it and to speculate its uses for events. If possible an evaluation rubric could be supplied or developed by the students through their discussion.

Participation

· Group discussion(s): Students are asked to comment on why they think the contract or waiver is exemplary. Group discussion is chosen here to provide for a safe environment for students to take risks and for students to experience the breadth of ideas as students debate the worthiness of the contract or waiver

Activity 3 Practice with Feedback (Pairs)

· Students now go on the web or in their workplace and find a contract or waiver used in event management

· Students work with a partner. Students share their sample waiver or contract and their pre written assessment with their partner. Paired or group work is selected here to provide an opportunity for peer to peer feedback and deeper thinking and reflection.

Activity4 Practice with Feedback ( Group Discussion)

· After receiving feedback from their partner, students individually post a brief description of their contract or waiver followed by their assessment of its quality. A link or copy of the product is included. (The quality of the chosen waiver or contract is not important rather it is the process of assessing its worthiness that should be stressed.)

· Students respond to at least two other postings of other contracts or waivers. They can choose the contract or waiver samples which are of most interest to them. Student are asked to comment and reflect on:

o The students assessment

o The applicability of the waiver and contract within the event management context

o The differences and similarities between the quality of presented waivers and contracts presented by the class as a whole

Activity 5 Performance Assessment

Students send the tutor their waiver or contract description and assessment for marking as an assignment with an added paragraph reflecting on what they learned from the aforementioned partner and the group discussions.

Variation 1: After activity 2, students are placed in their discussion groups and asked to go to the web or workplace and find similar products to evaluate. Students are not placed in pairs; rather, they post their products assessment into class group discussions (8 to 10) for feedback. I have chosen this route with waivers as it is a small but important portion of the module. In contrast, the evaluation of contracts is seen as an essential and more complex skill with an assignment attached to the process. Consequently, I have designed for more student practice and feedback.

Variation 2: After Activity 2, place students in groups and have them create product variations according to the template. This may be useful as a smaller or less complex piece within a larger project.

Variation 3: Students create their own learning product after Activity 5. Students have a clear understanding and lots of practice in assessing a product. Now, they are prepared to create their own using the assessment criteria as their guide.

ACTIVITY 2

Introductory Exercise/ Icebreaker for students to get to know one another within the context of the course

Students post to the class using the Google map application to introduce him/herself to the class and to provide some background information about his/herself which is related to the course content.

· Intrinsic interest for students as they want to know something about the others in their class

· Provides an interesting way for students to start to think about the course topic and to understand the background and interests of their fellow students.

· It helps students learn about each other and their interests in a safe and entertaining way.

· Students can be creative.

· Uses new technologies which will be useful skill for the students to have in their personal and professional work as event coordinators.

1. The facilitator’s role is to:

· Start the introduction with their own google map or example

· Clarify the instructions regarding the aim and goal of the task. The students are provided with this link: How to create a "My Map" in Google Maps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TftFnot5uXw

· Provide technical and instructional support to the learners as needed with google maps

· Facilitate discussion as needed amongst the learners once the maps and introductory posted are completed

· Provide alternative methods of delivery should the students not be able to use google maps (Hand drawn map which is faxed to the instructor and posted could be an alternative).

The learners' role is to:

· Learn how to use google map application

· Provide a brief description about themselves

· Provide a link to their map

· Provide additional information about their community characteristic that they wish to share.

In my course, the students are asked to create an event map of a key event in their community. They are then to write about the event’s core values, its appeal, its components, its venues and design, and potential for growth. This description helps to get the student start thinking about key concepts in the course (elicits prior knowledge).

2. The activity works well when:

· There is some characteristic of their community or geographical area which is related to the course concepts which can be displayed using a map. The map works well as it provides a pictorial representation of the idea which is supplemented with a written explanation.

· This type of computer expertise or learning of a google map application should fit your student profile. I am using this tool in a tourism context where the students will or should be used to using social media and computer apps.

The activity might not succeed if students have trouble learning google maps and the links don’t work or there is insufficient buy in from the students.

3. The most obvious constraint to the activity is technology. Students may have trouble creating their map but since the tool is web based, and no software is needed, this problem should be minimized.

4. How to share with others:

I don’t see a problem with this. Ted Wykes, my course writer, shared this activity with me and has used this activity in the past. He said it was successful and the students enjoyed it.