1. Development of Interactive Simulations in Math, Biology, and Chemistry Scott Cooper and Jeff Baggett University of Wisconsin - La Crosse http://repository.uwlax.edu

2. Imagine this … A conceptually difficult topic is coming up in your class Google and find a learning object that includes background, simulations, and self-assessment, but the LO isn’t quite exactly what you want Download, tweak with freely available tools, upload, send your students to use it

3. Goals Self-contained learning objects (LOs) to target conceptual hurdles or “choke points” A process faculty can use for finding, creating, and sharing instructional materials Different than MERLOT --- want a repository of open-source LOs that can be easily downloaded, modified, and repurposed

4. Instructional Design (TCP) Textual: background material necessary to understand the central concept Conceptual: gizmo + investigations to learn about a particular concept Practice: self assessment section T C P

5. Common Look and Feel Use “fill-in-the-blank” templates in Dreamweaver to produce pages Pros: easily navigable LO, can build in accessibility, gives commonality Cons: must have and learn Dreamweaver, building navigation menus tricky, resulting pages not easy to modify without Dreamweaver

6. Module Building Process Faculty identify “choke points” in courses. Search digital libraries and other sources for assets related to the choke point. Augment found assets with additional content to create a common look for modules. Assemble the assets into an easily downloadable package.

7. Finding Assets Lots of material is available on the web. It is rarely exactly what you want. It is often not in the public domain, is difficult to modify, or is incompatible. The best search tool was Google – but we are working on updating MERLOT.

8. Biology: Text Page Link

9. Biology: Conceptual Page

10. Biology: Practice Page

11. Chemistry: Textual Page Link

12. Chemistry: Conceptual Page

13. Chemistry: Practice Page

14. Math: Textual Page Link

15. Math: Conceptual Page

16. Math: Practice Page

17. The next steps 1.Help instructors build LOs around existing gizmos. 2.Improve the process by which the average instructor could download, edit and re-use a LO. 3.Help instructors find gizmos with open- source code. (1162 such sites in MERLOT).

18. Hurdles 1 Problem: Currently requires Dreamweaver and some training. Solution: Author writes pages in any HTML editor and uses simple web-based “wizard” to process and package into complete TCP LO.

19. Dreamweaver Template

20. New Tools

21. Hurdles 2 Problem: LOs are difficult to download and tweak. Solution: LOs will be stored in Wisconsin Federated Repository. Downloadable as simple (unformatted) web pages for easy modification. Can be reformatted with “wizard”. Open-source model with Creative Commons License.

22. Hurdles 3 Problem: Good gizmos can be hard to find and/or copyright isn’t clear. Solution: In addition to housing LO’s our repository will include source codes. LO’s will include clear copyright information.

23. Suggestion Authors should be encouraged to contribute gizmos/simulations/animations to open-source repository such as www.sourceforge.net. www.sourceforge.net Make copyright information clear on instructional materials (Creative Commons License – creativecommons.org)creativecommons.org

24. Current Activities Construct an easily accessible repository or referatory of open source code modules. Create a set of tools that will allow instructors to download, modify and repost these modules. Potential new direction for MERLOT? Member Modifications (5)

25. Funding 2003 - NSF funded proposal to produce learning objects for precalculus (NSF CCLI EMD proof of concept grant # DUE-0231508) 2003 - Univ. Wisconsin System Administration (UWSA) matched NSF funding 2004 – UWSA provides funding for multidisciplinary, multi-campus project 2005 – UWSA funding continues

26. POC Participants PIs: Hal Schlais, Director of Learning Technology Development - UW System Robert Hoar, UW-La Crosse Tom Peneski, UW-Colleges (Sheboygan) Team: Jeff Baggett, UW-La Crosse Karl Kattchee, UW-La Crosse Patricia Nelson, UW-La Crosse Terry Nyman, UW-Colleges (Fox Valley) Marty Schuh, UW-Colleges (Manitowoc) Paul A. Sundheim, UW-Colleges (Waukesha) Support: Marjee Chmiel, Instructional Design Dan Norton, Technology and LMS Support Patricia Ploetz, Assessment

27. BCMP Participants PIs: Hal Schlais, Director of LTDC - UW System Robert Hoar, UW-La Crosse (Math) Jeff Baggett, UW-La Crosse (Math) Scott Cooper, UW-La Crosse (Biology) Kim Kostka, UW-Rock County (Chemistry) Team: Katherine Bichler, UW-Manitowoc (Chemistry) Mohamed Ayoub, UW-Washington County (Chemistry) Anne Galbraith, UW-La Crosse (Biology) Roger Haro, UW-La Crosse (Biology) Ro Cahill, UW-Washington County (Math) Jinbo Lu, UW-Marshfield (Math)