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Activity Directions
In this design task assignment, you will write out the activity directions for a student-to-student learning activity based on the course content for your course. Student introductions and orientation materials will be addressed in weeks 7-12 of the seminar, so try to focus on a cognitive learning activity in this design task. Consider the S-S activities listed in your course design map and the Student-to-Student Learning Activity examples and resources provided earlier in this module.
Your Instructional Design Consultant will help with technical logistics for your activity, as needed. Remember to focus on the learning objectives being met through the activity.
- Choose an activity that promotes student-to-student engagement such as a discussion board activity, collaborative group project, online class meeting, wiki assignment, or peer review.
- Write the directions as though talking to your students (not the facilitators of this seminar). The rationale for your activity may be as simple as “provide a forum to share strategies for learning the material collectively”, or “to review one another’s work before an assignment is submitted.”
- Check your learning activity design against Quality Matters Standards to help ensure high-quality course design.
- Consider designing the activity in a way that the instructions could be reused for similar activities throughout your course while working through the details for one activity in particular.
- Your Instructional Design Consultant may provide ready-made activity direction templates that you can adapt for your course and submit for this assignment, or you may discuss and develop the activity directions together.
Task
Create your learning activity in a Google document or other document such as an MS Word. You will submit the Student-Student Learning Activity document using the Design Submission assignment link below. If you’d like to share your learning activity design with other instructors in the seminar, feel free to attach it to the module discussion, also.
Ensure that your learning activity includes the following components, written for your student audience:
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- Objective: Describe the purpose of the learning activity. List the course and module learning objective(s) that will be achieved by completing the learning activity.
- Rationale: Explain how the learning activity will help students achieve the learning objectives
- Directions: Clearly outline what students need to know/do to complete the learning activity. Provide details such as the kinds of thinking that should be exhibited, how the learning activity should be completed (individually, in groups, etc.), resources needed and where to find them, and how you will give feedback about their participation in the activity. Collaborative projects often benefit from clear guidelines regarding the objectives, communication, organization, timing, behaviors, and level of personal responsibility required for project success. Guidelines may include group roles, tasks, deliverables, communication tools, file formats, etc.
- Grading Criteria/Rubric: If student participation in the learning activity will be evaluated, including grading criteria or a rubric. Students need to know how the learning activity is linked to their course grade.
- Time Estimate: 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.
Reflection
What behaviors will you need to perform or model through this activity to establish, foster, and maintain online, student-centered community? What challenges do you anticipate and how you might overcome them?