Transcript Learning Objects to Enrich Your Classroom

Learning Objects
to Enrich Your Classroom
WEMA/Brainstorm 2006
March 7, 2006
Susan Cramer -- UW Oshkosh
JoAnn Carr -- UW Madison
http://asimov.coehs.uwosh.edu/~cramer/
What are learning objects?
Instructional materials found on the Internet that
can be used to illustrate, support, supplement or
assess student learning.
They are small in size, and can take on a variety
of different shapes, formats, and purposes.
For example…..
They could be a picture of the water cycle….
http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/images/ocp2003/WaterCycle-optimized.jpg
Or, a website with all sorts of references….
Sea World
A great site for information on marine mammals,
other animals, fish, birds or ecosystems
http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/california-sea-lion/index.htm
http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/sound-library/index.htm
http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/index.htm
http://www.si.umich.edu/chico/instrument/
Materials should be short in duration, 2-15
minutes in length, and should be used to support
the understanding of a concept or process.
For
example…
a short
video clip
of how
hydrogen
fuel cells
work.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/fuel-cell2.htm
They may also include reference articles,
statistical data, or first person accounts.
Table 2. General Mobility, by Race, Hispanic Origin, Sex, and Age: 2004
(Numbers in thousands.)
(leading dot indicates sub-part)
Sam e Dif ferent county, Dif ferent state,
All Races
Total
Non-mov er county
same state
same div ision
Total
.Total 1+ y ears
284,367 245,372
22,551
7,842
3,691
.1 to 4 years
16,026
12,703
2,109
600
256
.5 to 9 years
19,636
16,532
1,914
625
249
.10 to 14 y ears
21,176
18,513
1,613
509
267
.15 to 17 y ears
12,829
11,409
849
263
116
.18 to 19 y ears
7,485
6,267
666
282
118
.20 to 24 y ears
20,339
14,456
3,343
1,281
534
.25 to 29 y ears
19,008
13,759
3,020
1,030
505
.30 to 34 y ears
20,193
16,315
2,253
781
339
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/migrate/cps2004.html
When and how did your
family arrive here?
http://ellisisland.org/immexp/wseix_2_3.asp
Introduction to the Holocaust
Holocaust Encyclopedia
What is Genocide?
Personal Histories
Mapping the Holocaust
Online Exhibitions
Special Focus
Museum Exhibitions
Traveling Exhibitions
Scholarship
http://www.ushmm.org/
http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/phistories/
The common thread to all these instructional
materials is they support student learning, are
available on the Internet, and can be used in a
variety of contexts depending upon the
intended learning outcomes.
They likewise can be
used by multiple people
in multiple locations
simultaneously, and can
be accessed over and
over without time or
location constraints.
They can be presented to an entire class but
their true power comes when individual
students access the materials to support their
current learning needs.
What did the teacher say
today about mitosis? I
know, I can go to these
websites and review the
concept myself until I
understand it!
Cellsalive
http://Cellsalive.com/
A great site for illustrating…
meiosis,
mitosis,
cell biology,
microbiology,
immunology,
microscopy,
plant cells,
animal cells
and more.
Tutorials and simulations are most helpful….
Just enough,
Just in time,
Just for you…
In mathematics, two
great sources are
Illuminations and
Shodor (next page)
http://illuminations.nctm.org/
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/elementary/index.html
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/transform/index.html
English language learners as well as students studying
other languages can get help with how to pronounce a word
or translation right on the web
•http://www.colby.edu/personal/b/bknelson/exercises/).
Or, you can travel the world from your classroom.
Applied Technology
Fine Arts
Foreign Language
Health/PE
Language Arts
Math
Library Media
Science
Social Studies
Special Ed
Technology
Online Tutorials
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/
San Diego Zoo
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/ex_panda_station.html
Yellowstone National Park
Wolf news, sightings, history,
packs, captive wolves, a wolf
map, and audio clip of a wolf
howling.
(http://www.yellowstone-natl-park.com/wolf.htm)
Wow, these are
great resources!
How can we find
them?
There’s lots of
stuff out there and
I don’t have much
time.
One can find learning objects in a myriad of
locations. A Google search on “learning objects”
done as this presentation was being written returned
79 million hits. A second search using “learning
objects fractions” yielded 2.47 million hits while
“learning objects fractions middle school” yielded
1.3 million hits.
1/4
5/8
1/3
http://www.google.com/
Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM)
“A Consortium effort to provide educators
with quick and easy access to thousands of
educational resources found on various
federal, state, university, non-profit, and
commercial Internet sites”
Contains detailed descriptions of over 49,000
educational resources.
http://www.thegateway.org
View Full Collections
Teaching Practices (44),
Lesson Ideas (103),
Virtual Field Trips (72),
Digital Documentaries (31)
Leadership Practices (9 ),
Professional Growth Programming (14),
Expert Profiles (2),
Organizational Profiles (3)
Technology Showcases (7)
http://ali.apple.com/ali/resources.shtml
IDEAS
Search For Resources By:
Grade Level
PK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Higher Ed.,
Adult/Continuing Ed.
Subject
Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Information
and Technology Literacy, Art and Design Education, Music
Education, Environmental Education, More subjects...
Wisconsin Model Academic Standards
Language Arts: Grade 4, Grade 8, Grade 12
Math: Grade 4, Grade 8, Grade 12
Etc.
http://www.ideas.wisconsin.edu/
Wisconsin's Information
Network for Successful
Schools
http://www2.dpi.state.wi.us/sig/pr
actices/high_2.asp
Wisconsin Online
Resource Center
Materials developed primarily
by instructors from the
Wisconsin Technical College
System
2, 025 objects online with 68
more in development.
http://wisc-online.com/
Seeks to support primarily higher education students and
faculty with over 10,000 materials catalogued.
Unique features are peer review, assignments, and
member collections.
http://www.merlot.org/)
Library of Congress
Has fantastic materials including
historic maps, photos, documents,
audio and video clips, virtual
tours of galleries, multilingual
resources on world culture and
more.
Riverfront in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
showing a bridge spanning the
Milwaukee River near the Pabst
building
http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/D?cdn:19:./temp/~ammem_eb1T::@@@mdb=mcc,gottscho,detr,nfor,wpa,aap,cwar,bbpix,cowellbib,calbkbib,consrvbib,bdsbib,dag,fsaall,gmd,
pan,vv,presp,varstg,suffrg,nawbib,horyd,wtc,toddbib,mgw,ncr,ngp,musdibib,hlaw,papr,lhbumbib,rbpebib,lbcoll,alad,hh,aaodyssey,magbell,bbcards,dcm,r
aelbib,runyon,dukesm,lomaxbib,mtj,gottlieb,aep,qlt,coolbib,fpnas,aasm,scsm,denn,relpet,amss,aaeo,mffbib,afc911bib,mjm,mnwp,rbcmillerbib,molden,w
w2map,hawp,omhbib,rbaapcbib,mal,ncpsbib,ncpm,lhbprbib,ftvbib,afcreed,aipn,cwband,flwpabib,wpapos,cmns,psbib,pin,coplandbib,cola,tccc,curt,mhare
ndt,lhbcbbib,eaa,haybib,mesnbib,fine,cwnyhs,svybib,mmorse,afcwwgbib,mymhiwebib,uncall,mfd,afcwip,mtaft,manz,llstbib,fawbib,berl,fmuever,cdn,upb
overbib,mussm,cic,afcpearl,awh,awhbib,sgp,wright,lhbtnbib,afcesnbib,hurstonbib,mreynoldsbib,spaldingbib,sgproto
http://loc.gov/
University of Wisconsin Digital Collections
Contains a wealth of digitized materials from the UW
System libraries you can use to support instruction. A
sample of collection titles includes Africa Focus: Sights
and Sounds of a Continent, Great Lakes Maritime
History Project, Icelandic Online Dictionary and
Readings, Illustrated Shakespeare, SouthEast Asian
Images and Texts, and Wisconsin Public Land Survey
Records: Original Field Notes.
http://uwdc.library.wisc.edu/collections.html
http://www.teachingbooks.net/
Connect with an author at
http://www.teachingbooks.net/athr_upcls.cgi
• Movie with author speaking about self
• Movie of author reading book
http://www.teachingbooks.net/search.cgi
http://www.teachingbooks.net/spec_athr.cgi?name=Ryan%2C%2
0Pam%20Mu%26%23241%3Boz
NASA also has available a wealth of instructional materials.
(http://www.nasa.gov/home/)
But, does technology increase student learning?
• Researchers report mixed
findings but overall it has
been found that “teaching
and learning with
technology has a small
[.410], positive, significant
(p<.001) effect on student
outcomes when compared to
traditional instruction”
(Waxman, Lin, Michko, 2003).
• When we think of using technology in the
classroom, use can be divided into two different
types. Learning “from” technology and learning
“with” technology
(Reeves 1998 cited in Ringstaff and Kelley, 2002)
• When one learns “from” technology, the technology
is acting as a tutor or teacher. Drill and practice
software fits into this category as would a math fact
game or the American Sign Language Dictionary site
on the Internet. Use of these resources, learning objects,
can lead to increased student learning. In The Learning
Return On Our Educational Technology Investment: A
Review of Findings from Research, Ringstaff and
Kelley (2002) reported “computer-assisted instruction
and drill-and-practice software can significantly
improve students’ scores on standardized
achievement tests (Kulik, 1994; Sivin-Kachala &
Bialo, 2000), in all major subject areas, preschool
through higher education (Coley, 1997)” (p. 5).
• Wenglinsky (1998 in Archer, 1998), in his study of
4th and 8th graders who took the math section of
the 1996 National Assessment of Educational
Progress, reported that “4th graders whose teachers
used instructional computers mostly for
math/learning games posted an achievement gain
equal to roughly 15 percent of a grade level” (p.
3). What is happening is that students are building
fluency in a specific skill.
Learning “with” technology….
• Wenglinsky (1998 cited in Valdez, McNabb,
Foertsch, Anderson, Hawkes & Raack, 2000) found
that “after adjusting for class size, teacher
qualifications, and socioeconomics, … technology
had more of an impact in middle schools than it did
in elementary schools. He found that in eighth
grade, where computers were used for
simulations and applications, students had
higher test scores than where computers were used
for drill and practice. The differences were the
equivalent of half a grade level.”
• What is occurring is “’technology can facilitate deep
exploration and integration of information, high-level
thinking, and profound engagement by allowing
students to design, explore, experiment, access
information, and model complex phenomena’ …
These new circumstances and
opportunities – not the
technology on its own – can
have a direct and meaningful
impact on student
achievement” (Goldman,
Cole, and Syer, 1999
cited in NCREL 1999, p. 6).
• Goldman et al (cited in CEO Forum, 2001) found
that students who employed simulations,
microcomputer-based laboratories, and video to
connect science instruction to real-world problems
outperformed students who employed traditional
instructional methods alone.
How do students use and want to use
technology?
They use the Internet as
• a virtual textbook and reference
library,
• a virtual tutor and study
shortcut,
• virtual study group,
• virtual guidance counselor, and
• virtual locker-backpacknotebook.
But, what they find in schools is….
• Educational use of the Internet is most likely to
occur outside of the school without direction of
teachers.
• When teachers do integrate the Internet into
schoolwork, the quality of the assignments
tends to be poor and uninspiring.
• And, use of the Internet is not required
for use in homework.
• On the whole, “students are
frustrated and increasingly
dissatisfied by the digital
disconnect they are
experiencing at school.
• They cannot conceive of doing
schoolwork without Internet
access yet they are not being
given many opportunities in
school to take advantage of the
Internet” (Levin & Arafeh,
2002, p. v).
Learning objects are one way to increase student
learning and engagement.
What are you waiting for?
What’s your next unit?
What learning objects can make it
come alive?
Feel free to download this presentation for use in
your school. If you do, please drop us an email so
we can document its usage. Thanks!
[email protected]
http://asimov.coehs.uwosh.edu/~cramer/
Research References
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Archer, J. 1998. The link to higher scores. Education Week. [Online]. Available
http://www.edweek.org/sreports/tc98/ets/ets-n.htm (accessed 9/29/03) now available
http://counts.edweek.org/sreports/tc98/ets/ets-n.htm (accessed 8/5/05).
CEO Forum School Technology and Readiness Report: Year 4. 2001. Key building blocks for student achievement in
the 21st century: Assessment, alignment, accountability, access, analysis. Author. [Online]. Available:
http://www.ceoforum.org/downloads/report4.pdf
Goldman, S., Cole, K., & Syer, C. 1999. The technology/content dilemma [Online]. Available:
http://www.ed.gov/Technology/TechConf/1999/whitepapers/paper4.html. Cited in North Central Regional
Educational Laboratory. 1999. Critical Issue: Using Technology to improve student achievement. Author. [Online].
Available http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te800.htm
Levin, D. & Arafeh, S. 2002. The Digital Disconnect: The Widening Gap Between Internet-Savvy Students and Their
Schools. Accessed 1/7/05 http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Schools_Internet_Report.pdf
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory 1999. Critical Issue: Using Technology to improve student
achievement. Author. [Online]. Available http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te800.htm
Reeves, T. C. 1998. The impact of media and technology in schools: A research report prepared for The Bertelsmann
Foundation. Available http://www.athensacademy.org/instruct/media_tech/reeves0.html
Ringstaff, C. and Kelley, L. 2002. The Learning Return On Our Educational Technology Investment: A Review of
Findings from Research. WestEd RTEC. [Online]. Available: http://www.WestEd.org/online_pubs/learning_return.pdf
Valdez, G., McNabb, M. Foertsch, Anderson, M. Hawkes M., & Raack, L. 2000. Computer-based technology and
learning: Evolving uses and expectations. Phase III: Data_Driven Virtual Learning. (page 8 of 10) Accessed 6/3/05.
[Online]. Available: (full report) http://www.ncrel.org/tplan/cbtl/toc.htm
Waxman, H. C., Lin, M-F, Michko, G.M. 2003. A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of teaching and learning with
technology on student outcomes. Learning Point Associates. Accessed 3/21/05. [Online]. Available:
http://www.ncrel.org/tech/effects2/waxman.pdf.
Wenglinsky, H. 1998. Does it compute? The relationship between educational technology and student achievement in
mathematics. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. Retrieved August 5, 2005 from
ftp://ftp.ets.org/pub/res/technolog.pdf.