Web-based Professional Development Turning Ideas in Reality Al Byers Director, The NSTA Institute

With Sincere Thanks Conference Host: Rishi Singh-NEERI Primary Organizers: Surajit Sen Vinod Gaur International Co-Organizers: Srikanth Sastry Pervez Hoodbhoy Kirthi Tennakoon

Overview The NSTA Institute portal Science Objects SCORM Best practices in online learning Webwatchers

The NSTA Institute Professional Development for the K-16 community Online, Onsite, Blended Training Opportunities NSTA Partners –NASA Institute symposiums –McRel inquiry course –NCATE training program –NTEN online masters –Jason Academy short courses –University of Maryland online masters

NSTA Institute Science Objects Online Professional Development that helps teachers learn science content Easily digestible chunks Engaging interactive content Incorporates embedded Jim Minstrell-like assessment for deeper understanding

Our country needs to improve science teacher knowledge - student science literacy depends on it Current efforts fail to: provide the content background teachers need reach the scale of impact that national reform demands address the individual needs of teachers connect to the national and state science standards achieve an attractive cost/benefit ratio for users Why Science Objects?

NSTA Science Objects Built from Standards: –ATLAS of Scientific Literacy (AAAS 2000) –National Science Education Standards (NSTA/NRC 1996) Designed using model (ASCD) : Understanding by Design Based on current research for PD Developed and evaluated using ASTD E-learning courseware standards

The Universe: Gravity K

K-2 The Universe: Gravity 9-12 If a force acts toward a single center, the objects path may curve into an orbit around the center... 4F/3 An unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed or direction of motion, or both. 4F/3… Changes in speed or direction of motion are caused by forces. 4F/1… The way to change how something is moving is to give it a push or a pull. 4F/2 to and from LAWS OF MOTION forces and motion

science object(s) recommended into teacher portfolio teacher chooses science object(s) self study Teacher takes self-assessment Help desk online joins others institute research database content/knowledge assessment discussion group online Expert facilitator online takes mediated course

Rigorous RFP invited 35 LCMS/LMS vendors Ten vendors replied Three selected to give demonstrations to pre- established scenarios References checked Selected Outstart Evolution as LCMS The Mechanics of Science Objects

LMS for serving up online modules, tracking final scores overall module completion LCMS to help in the creation, management, and distribution of online modules/assessments & tracking/branching within Science Object The Mechanics of Science Objects LMS versus LCMS

Evolution Enterprise Learning Management Platform

Selected Customers K ANA

Evolution Learning Management Platform Quick & Easy Content Development Centralized Content Management Dynamic Content Delivery Learner Management & Tracking

Evolution Content Delivery Query generators dynamically deliver learning content to a variety of mediums –Dynamic Web –Print –Presentation-PPT –Mobile Web-PDA –Offline delivery/CD –Variety of standards- XML, SCORM, and more Administrative functions to manage look and feel

Evolution Content Personalization Separation of content from presentation allows for extensive personalization –Change look without touching content –Serve up different content based on student profile –Prescribe learning path with appropriate content and navigation based on student pre- and post-assessments and/or profile

PDA device Outstart Evolution CD-ROM Classroom Print Version Web delivery iMIS membership Database Science Objects Traditional short courses using science objects Institute Portal Portfolio/tracking Instructional Designer Graphic/Flash SME reviewers Teacher users User/District customized NOTE: NSTA is not metatagging every asset, but entire SO to be served with other products for complete PD plan Import native Word/PPT format and parse, maintaining style sheet of document

Managed by ADLnet Focuses on separating content from proprietary delivery platform into chunks Permits portability, updating, reuse of content Cost and time savings in production The Mechanics of Science Objects SCORM ( )

Subsumes 3 existing standards: IMS Global Learning Consortium standard for packaging content in container between systems IEEE Metadata schema for describing content as packaged (Dublin Core/LOM) AICC standard for communicating score Sequencing/branching within content of SCOs The Mechanics of Science Objects SCORM ( ) Digital Library National STEM Tracks progress and completion of learning via LMS Allows branching/skipping, tallying individual scores from embedded assessments

Identifies and describes an information object Documents how that object behaves, its function and use Its relationship to other objects How it should be managed The Mechanics of Science Objects What is Metadata LOM Base Schema Example

General Lifecycle Meta-Metadata Technical Educational Rights Relation Annotation Classification The Mechanics of Science Objects Metadata Categories LOM Base Schema Example

Context-independent features of the learning object –Title –Catalog ids –Language –Description –Coverage The Mechanics of Science Objects General Element LOM Base Schema Example

Educational/pedagogic features of the object –Learning resource type (5.2) –Educational context (5.6) –Age range (5.7) –Intended end user (5.5) –Language of end-user –Duration (5.9) –Interactivity type (5.1) –Semantic Density (5.4) The Mechanics of Science Objects Education Element LOM Base Schema Example

Copyright considerations Cataloging of metadata for every asset huge undertaking Reusability for Assets and small SCOs negate instructional design and learning context- nonsense for learner Deficits to SCORM Note: NSTA is not cataloging every asset for repurposing, but entire science object, NSTA book, complete journal article, and strands at conventions The Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) – A Critical Review. Oliver Bohl, Dr. Jörg Schellhase, Ruth Sengler, Prof. Dr. Udo Winand. University of Kassel. Proceedings of the International Conference on Computers in Education (ICCE02) /02 $17.00 © 2002 IEEE

National Staff Development Council in conjunction with the National Institute for Community Innovations: E-learning for Educators: Implementing the standards for staff development (2001) Best Practices

I remain a skeptical friend to those who say that e-learning will transform professional learning in schools…I want evidence that e-learning improves practice, boosts student learning, and contributes to the development of high- performing schools. Dennis Sparks Executive Director National Staff Development Council

Its not the technology… Its what you do with it! Case Study Debate Presentations/Products Role Playing Problem-based Learning Panel Discussion Collaborative Inquiry Data Analysis

Best Practices E-Learning should be just-in-time, just enough, just for me time, place and pace independent ongoing, high quality, results driven, content specific, increasing achievement of all students

Best Practices E-Learning should incorporate reflection, real-life contexts, demonstrations, modeling be aligned to standards train educators in content, assessment and instructional strategies

Dr. Curtis Bonk Dr. Mike Odell Dr. Barbara Lockee Dr. Lloyd Rieber Dr. Lynne Shurm Dr. Michael Hannifin Dr. Zane Berge Mauri Collins Dr. John Seely Brown Leaders in online/K-12 learning

John Seely Brown Co-Founder, Institute for Research on Learning; Chief Scientist, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) The Human Side of Knowledge Management: Learning and Knowledge Sharing in the Digital Age

Understanding is socially constructed. Find ways to support conversations around content. Pedagogy: Design evocative knowledge objects. Learning and knowledge sharing is fundamentally social.

Key is to provide sufficient structure and learning context to engage this social community…

Role Playing… Create authentic, engaging scenario Opposing stakeholders positions Urgency to act created Eight-ten unique roles Public and private agendas Voting and purchasing privileges Four weeks maximum duration Critical number of exchanges Teachable moment when reveal agendas, debrief Albert Ip (Univ. of Australia) Beyond the Current E-Learning paradigm: Applications of Role Play Simulations (RPS) - case studies. Roni Linser, Department of Political Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC Albert IP. Digital Learning Systems, Australia. Presented at "E-Learn 2002", AACE Conference, Montreal, Canada, Oct , 2002.

Webwatcher Science Guides Web Guide Topic Area Several Themes for each web guide topic area List of Keywords for each theme Clicking Keyword provides list of URL Resources aligned to keyword

Webwatcher Keywords Each Keyword coded with six URLs: 2 Core Content URLs 2 Inquiry Activity URLs 2 Aligned- Assessments URLs Cutting across all three areas pages may contain or address: Misconceptions, Multimedia, Interactivity

How are the Web Guides created?

Discussion

Web-based Professional Development Turning Ideas in Reality Al Byers Director, The NSTA Institute