1. Jennifer I. Clark
Classroom Assessment Technique: Dynamic Instructional Methods
PURPOSE and
STUDY QUESTION
SUGGESTIONS
Based on participant response, the following suggestions are recommended to include in the
design of the online version of CLS 201 course to support the learning environment.
1.When introducing potentially new software to students, tutorials introducing the new
software and providing detailed instruction will increase potential for its’ successful use.
2.Use of video instruction for some of the assignments, particularly ones that require group
interaction to facilitate connection to the learning community.
3.Include MLA or APA citation instructional tutorials as part of the course introduction materials
to effectively orient students to the expectations related to proper citation of source materials.
REFERENCES
Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2013). Changing course: Ten years of tracking online education in the united states. Retrieved from
http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/changingcourse.pdf
Angelo, T. A., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers (Second.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Conrad, C. F., & Wilson, R. F. (2003). Academic program reviews: Institutional approaches, expectations, and controversies. In W. Y. Lee (Ed.), Assessment and program
evaluation (Second., pp. 81–94). Boston: Pearson.
Kim, K.-J., & Bonk, C. J. (2006). The future of online teaching and learning in higher education: The survey says. Educause Review, 22–30. Retrieved from
http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/future-online-teaching-and-learning-higher-education-survey-says
Mayer, R. E. (2003). The promise of multimedia learning: using the same instructional design methods across different media. Learning and Instruction, 13, 125–139.
doi:10.1016/S0959-4752(02)00016-6
Mayer, R. E. (2010). Multimedia learning : Are we asking the right questions ? Educational Psychologist, (February 2015), 37–41. doi:10.1207/s15326985ep3201
Rotherham, A., & Willingham, D. (2009). 21st century skills: The challenges ahead. Educational Leadership: Teaching for the 21st Century, 67(1), 16–21. Retrieved from
http://www.claytonschools.net/cms/lib/MO01000419/Centricity/ModuleInstance/10651/21st_Century_Skills-The_Challenges_Ahead.pdf
Team, E. (2015). The 20 digital skills every 21st century teacher should have. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/33-digital-skills-every-21st-century.html
Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2014). 21st century skills. The Glossary of Education Reform. Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://edglossary.org/21st-century-skills/
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
METHOD
The implementation of the CAT used a quantitative
approach through a survey instrument that measured
the use of 3 screencasts (videos) and students’
perception of their impact as part of the course
introduction and in providing both group project
instruction and individual presentation instruction.
Qualtrics, an online survey platform, was used to
design and implement the survey instrument (See
Appendix A). This CAT utilized an assessment
method introduced by Thomas A. Angelo & K.
Patricia Cross (1993), Course-related Self-Confidence
Surveys.
INSTRUMENT
The survey instrument was designed to identify how
this online CLS 201 course supports academic success
in this style of learning environment. The survey
focused particularly on the use of dynamic
instructional strategies in the form of
video instruction. Through email
requests, course participants were
invited to participate in an online
survey that would satisfy the
data needs of two assessment projects.
Purpose of CAT
Based on this information, the purpose of this CAT will be to
focus on Cluster II – Basic Academic Success Skills
specifically in an online learning community. Considering
the wide range of student confidence in an online setting,
this was an appropriate direction to pursue with this student
population and assessment project.
Study Question
The identified research question for this CAT to assess the
use of dynamic technical support as a method of improving
student confidence. The formal question is: Do dynamic
technical support strategies improve student confidence in
an online classroom environment?
As a teaching assistant for an online course at a mid-sized, higher
education institution, this instructor applied theory to practice for the
purpose of assessing an online learning environment. For the first-
time this seminar-style, face-to-face class was offered in an online
venue with a few modifications to the original course design. Online
learning environments have seen dramatic increases since 2002 (Allen
& Seaman, 2013). In a 2013 report, I. Elaine Allen and Jeff Seaman
found that in 2010 over 6 million students reporting taking at least
one online course and those numbers were expected to continue to
grow (Allen & Seaman, 2013).
The arrival, and popularity, of online learning has increased the
demand of improving this style of learning environment. Just as K-12
students are finding the need to develop 21st
Century Skills in order to
be college-ready or even work-force ready when they graduate from
high school, college professors are finding that teaching online
requires an entirely different skill-set to promote student learning in
this increasingly-popular classroom environment (Kim & Bonk, 2006;
Rotherham & Willingham, 2009; Trilling & Fadel, 2014). The focus of
this assessment will be directed to the use of dynamic instructional
methods as a strategy for improving the delivery of an online course
and achieving the learning outcomes for the course.
BACKGROUND
Secondary – Cognitive Theory of Multi-media Learning
Primary
This assessment project is based on two theoretical frameworks, the primary
one,, 21st
Century Skills is a fairly recent theoretical framework and mostly
focused on student development in the K-12 setting (Rotherham & Willingham,
2009; Trilling & Fadel, 2014). The constructs of the theory establish the need for
students to master skills unique to this digital age. These skills include digital
literacy, traditional literacy, content knowledge, media literacy and learning or
innovation skills. Although this theory is more directed to developing learners
(K-12) it has relevance in this setting due to the nature of how this course is
being delivered. Although there is potential for a majority of the students to
have some level of confidence with accessing the internet, participating in a
course with this complexity may challenge their skillset in relation to 21st
Century learning and thus their confidence or motivation toward course
participation.
The growth in demand for online learning venues has extended the influence of
21st
Century Skills to Higher Education. The digital age has encouraged learners
and teachers at all levels to stay current and adept with the trends in learning
environments (Rotherham & Willingham, 2009; Team, 2015; Trilling & Fadel,
2014).
A second theoretical framework, Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, informed
the design of instructional methods in this course (Mayer, 2003, 2010). Richard Mayer
identified this framework as a method of utilizing instructional media while being aware
of how the human mind works. There are three main assumptions with this theory:
1)There are two separate channels (auditory and visual) for processing information;
2)Each channel has a limited capacity; and
3)Learning is an active process of filtering, selecting, organizing, and integrating
information based upon prior knowledge.
SURVEY
PARTICIPANTS
5
LIMITATIONS
FINDINGS
Survey participants reported their
two greatest concerns with taking
an online course were: 1) Clarity of
course assignments and deadlines;
and 2) Availability of the instructor.
The tutorial introducing the Screencast-o-
Matic software receiving the highest
average success rate at 8.6 and the
Discussion Prompt 4 and Assignment
Instruction tutorial receiving the lowest
average success rate at 5.5.
Participants scored the second group
assignment instruction, delivered in the form of
a screencast, as being most helpful in
integrating into their learning community
(small group).