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For this week’s design task, you will create the design for a single type of learning activity that you have listed in your Course Design Pattern. You and your instructional design consultant will use the activity directions you write for this design task to build the activity in Blackboard later in this seminar.
There are three ways to approach this assignment. Choose whichever option makes the most sense for you given your experience and level of comfort/interest:
- You may follow the steps in the Design Task Activity Directions, below. The type of information that has been shown to be effective for students is described within each step of the design task; Or,
- You may work in the Optional Template for Learning Activity Design, provided; Or,
- You may adapt general activity directions provided by your instructional design consultant for the content and purpose of your course.
If interested, you will find helpful and specific guidance regarding the design of various informational, active and collaborative activities in the Course Resources area of the course. A link to the “Toolbox for Design of Effective Learning Activities” is provided following these activity directions.
If you’ve settled on a design pattern for your course, the instructions for your activity will contain many of the same activity directions that students will follow in subsequent modules. For example, if you design a homework assignment for content in Module 03, the same or very similar directions could be used for all of the other homework assignments in the other modules in your course.
This course design task will help you achieve the following seminar learning objectives:
G5. Match the course- and module-level outcomes and their aligned assessments with one or more appropriate individual or group learning activity options.
G6. Generate a learning activity design.
G7. Check the learning activity design against Quality Matters Standards to help ensure constructive alignment and high-quality course design.
Design Task Activity Directions
Please follow the steps below to generate a rough draft of the activity directions for a specific learning activity that students will complete in at least one module in your course.
Step 01: Select an activity
Review your course design pattern. Select one type of activity that you would like to design, perhaps a weekly assignment. We’d like you to write the directions that students will follow for that activity in one particular module in your course.
Step 02: Provide the learning activity title and an estimated time to complete the activity
At the top of the page, write a working title for the activity. After the title, write the amount of time you expect students to spend on this activity in parentheses. Note the following examples:
Reading: Textbook Chapter 01 (90 min)
Small Group Activity: Study Guide Questions for Module 03 (60 min)
Project Presentation Video (120 min)
Step 03: Learning objectives, rationale, and instructor guidance
List the course and module learning objectives that are related to the learning activity and how this learning activity will help students achieve the learning objectives and succeed on any related assessments. (QM Standard 2.4 The relationship between learning objectives and course activities is clearly stated.) Describe the purpose of the activity from the student perspective: Why am I being asked to do this? What am I going to learn about? How is this activity going to benefit me?
Instructor guidance is an important mechanism to stimulate and sustain learner motivation and engagement. Consider including the information you provide verbally when introducing a similar activity in the classroom. Here are some examples of the type of instructional guidance that students find helpful. The list of suggestions below is meant to trigger your own ideas for instructional guidance that anticipates student questions about the activities, and sets up the activity, appropriately:
- key points students should focus on to get the most out of the activity
- answers to commonly asked questions
- challenges students may encounter and suggested solutions
- realistic expectations regarding the amount of effort required to be successful
- encouragement to make use of resources, and seek help promptly
- your confidence in their ability to succeed
- for assessments, the content or material being assessed
- prep activities before taking a quiz
- why you value this material
- what you want the reading to do
- how students will use the material in upcoming course activities or life experiences
- how to approach the activity
- questions to be thinking about
- tips to increase understanding or engagement
- invitation to make predictions or suggest theories
- reading comprehension strategies they could use
- participation behaviors to demonstrate
- kinds of thinking student responses should demonstrate
- ability to paraphrase or summarize from source materials
- ability to provide evidence to support answers
- comparative or critical analysis
- synthesis
- reflection
- ask questions on concepts presented
- connecting to prior knowledge or experience
- personal reactions
- etc.
- academic integrity guidelines – what is or is not allowed, stated in a positive manner
Step 04: Student Activity Directions
Write the directions for this learning activity in words you would use as if speaking to students in your classroom. Clearly outline what students need to know and do to complete the learning activity. Instructional guidance (Step 04) could be woven into the directions. Provide details such as:
- The average amount of time students will need to complete the activity. If a reading activity, feel free to use the same rule of thumb that we do in this seminar: 200/words per minute.
- Step-by-step directions for all of the tasks students must carry out to complete the learning activity.
- Explain how the learning activity should be completed (individually, in groups, etc.).
- Due dates and/or deadlines for completion of various tasks.
- The format of the activity (homework, paper, report, project, experiment, interview, etc.).
- Resources needed and where to find them.
- How to turn in the assignment/activity. Although you may have this outlined in your syllabus already, a quick reminder may relieve you of unnecessary emails from your students.
- If student participation in the learning activity will be evaluated, include grading criteria or a rubric. If there is an assessment related to this activity, direct students how and when to take the assessment. Students need to know how the learning activity is linked to their course grade.
- How and when you will give feedback about their participation in the activity. If there is an evaluation or assessment, students might not understand they need to go to the My Grades area of Blackboard or they may be waiting for you to send them an email. Explain how and when you will give feedback about their participation in the activity.
- Where they need to go if they need further clarifications on how to complete the activity. For example, do you want them to go to their peers first or to you? Do you want an email or a call?
Step 05: Quality Matters check
Your instructional design consultant will help you check your learning activity design against the following Quality Matters Standards so you can make any revisions that are needed to ensure constructive alignment and high-quality course design.
2.4 The relationship between learning objectives or competencies and course activities is clearly stated.
4.2: Both the purpose of instructional materials and how the materials are to be used for learning activities are clearly explained.
5.1 The learning activities promote the achievement of the stated learning objectives or competencies.
5.2 Learning activities provide opportunities for interaction that support active learning.
5.3 The instructor’s plan for classroom response time and feedback on assignments is clearly stated.
5.4 The requirements for learner interaction are clearly stated.
6.1 The tools used in the course support the learning objectives and competencies.
6.2 Course tools promote learner engagement and active learning.
7.1 The course instructions articulate or link to a clear description of the technical support offered and how to obtain it.
8.3 The course provides alternative means of access to course materials in formats that meet the needs of diverse learners.
8.4 The course design facilitates readability.
8.5 Course multimedia facilitate ease of use.
Step 06: Additional Information
Write down any other information that you want to include in your activity directions. Then prepare to share your learning activity design in your next meeting with your instructional design consultant.
Guidelines
In the online environment, students need more explicit information in order to successfully complete the work. Remember that providing the purpose for activities and assessments, thorough instructions, and clear grading measures will help your course meet Quality Matters standards — and help your students understand what you expect.
Here are two examples of detailed Activity Directions:
As you develop your course in Blackboard, we encourage you to address the following components in each learning activity and assessment.
INSERT TABLE
Include Requirements
As you write the directions, keep in mind what you or your students will need – such as instructional materials, resources, and services – in order to carry out the learning activity. For instance, the technology and Blackboard pieces in the Getting Started module (from the QM Blackboard template we imported into your Master) will include links to most of the tutorials students might need to know about or software plugins their computers might need. Other things that students might require, such as APA style guides, textbook websites/resources, etc., could be located within the Course Resources section of your course.
Consider how helpful your students might find the following information in order to put them into the best frame of mind for completing the assessment:
- If graded, the number of points the assessment is worth
- If being turned in, date and time when the assessment is due
- Preparation and expectations, such as the kinds of thinking that students should exhibit, what content and/or material the assessment will measure, and suggestions for how best to prepare for the assessment
- Specific instructions regarding how to complete the assessment (your expectations)
- Directions for submitting the assessment
- As appropriate, information regarding late acceptance or retakes
Test and Quiz Directions
For selected-response assessments, the following is also beneficial:
- Date and time when the assessment will become available to students
- The format of the assessment, such as objective test with multiple choice questions, essay exam, or self-assessment
- Number of questions included in the assessment
- Approximate amount of time required/provided to complete the assessment
- Restrictions related to completing the assessment, such as whether students complete it independently or in groups, if they can use their books, etc.
- Directions regarding which online test setup options have been enabled, such as whether multiple attempts are allowed or forced completion; whether the assessment is timed; how questions will appear– all at once or one at a time; and whether students can backtrack to previous questions
- Potential pitfalls (such as avoiding the Back button) and how to access help if needed (e.g., help desk phone number/email for technical support)
Update Files Correctly
When you upload any documents such as a PDF or Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, Blackboard automatically puts these files into what is called the Content Collection. Located at the top of the Control Panel, use this feature at any time that you need to update any files that you posted previously. A video titled Using Blackboard’s Content Collection (7:44 min.) explains.
Writing Assignment Directions
Leverage the expertise of your Boise State English Department colleagues by reviewing this guidance on Designing and Developing Writing Assignments/Assessments. Faculty consultation is also provided by the Boise State Writing Center. Compare and contrast two ways of assigning the final paper in a Humanities course. Consider including headings with similar categories of information for the activity directions in your course.
Before:
Write a final paper for this course on a topic about the Humanities of your own choosing. Your paper should include information from at least two sources and should use appropriate formatting. Your paper is due on the last day of the course.
After:
Final Paper (2 hours for initial selection and proposal, 6 hours for paper)
Due dates: Proposal due Thursday of Module 09, Paper due Thursday of Module 15
The culminating assignment for the course is a final project that gives you the opportunity to address all three of our main course objectives.
Guidelines
Explore one genre, idea, or theme through the six major cultural periods of the course:
- Renaissance
- Baroque
- 18th Century
- Romanticism
- Impressionism
- Modernism
Use specific examples to make your points. Write 6 to 8 pages, using font size 12 in Times New Roman or Arial, double-spaced, in Microsoft Word or Rich Text Format. Include a Works Cited page in MLA format, if necessary.
Details
Here is the kind of direction your paper should take. If you choose to write a paper about, say, the evolution of opera from the Renaissance to the present, you might discuss one opera (or even one aria) from each period and look at the way that it reflects the prevailing concerns of the society from which it comes. And since opera doesn’t really start until the Baroque period, you might also look at the musical and literary forms of the Renaissance that lead to the genre’s development.
You are welcome to use outside research (including the Resource Materials in our course site), but the paper should be organized around your own conclusions and ideas about your topic’s evolution.
Deadlines
You will have two due dates for this final project:
- Submit a proposal through the provided assignment link on or before 11:59 p.m. MT on Thursday in module 09, and include the following:
- The topic of your project
- The specific examples from each time period on which you plan to focus your discussion, and
- A detailed description of the format of your project.
- Submit your final project through the provided assignment link by 11:59 p.m. MT on Thursday in module 15 (the Thursday of finals week).
Grading Criteria
Your project will be graded on the following:
- Complete Thoughtful Answers (25 pts)
- Writing Mechanics (20 pts)
- Follow Instructions (10 pts)
- Critical Inquiry (20 pts)
To a description of the criteria used to grade your paper, go to My Grades and click the link to View Rubric associated with the assignment link.
Help
For help in formulating and writing your final paper, do take advantage of the Boise State Writing Center; you will find a link to Writing Center information in the eCampus Online Student Resources link in the Getting Started materials in this course site.
Review your own paper against the grading rubric prior to submitting it for grading.
The sooner you submit your proposal, the sooner I will be able to give you feedback and let you move forward with your plans. Please post any questions you have about this assignment to the Course Questions forum in the Discussions area.
We hope the problems with the “Ineffective” directions (before revision) are pretty clear:
- The purpose of the assignment is very broad and vague. Asking students to choose any topic about the subject matter not only puts a tremendous responsibility on them to choose correctly but also suggests that all topics are equally valid, which may not be true.
- The directions give no specific information about format, aside from a vague reference to “appropriate formatting,” whatever that means. There is no indication of paper length, style, citation method, etc.
- The prompt includes no explanations of how students are supposed to submit their assignments.
- The “last day of the course” is unclear – does it mean the last day of classroom instruction or the last day of finals week?
- The assignment is not explained in the context of the course—which of the learning objectives is this designed to address?
- The language about the “two sources” is unclear; do the course textbooks and online lectures count as sources?
- The directions do not offer any examples of potential topics, nor do they refer to any samples that students can review or other resources for completing the assignment.
The strength of the “Effective” directions (after revision) in comparison to the first set is accomplished with the following standards:
- The assignment is situated within the course learning objectives.
- The purpose of the assignment is clearly stated.
- The assignment includes an example of a topic that would fit the requirements.
- Students are required to think ahead about their projects by submitting a proposal and receiving instructor feedback.
- The assignment contains clear guidelines for format and submission.
- Assessment criteria are included in the assignment. To make this even more effective, the instructor might provide a rubric to explain the criteria further; we will explore rubrics later in this section of the module.
- The assignment includes resources for help and reminds students of how to pose questions.