# Instructional Design/Constructivism/Design Document/Learning experience

Learning Experience
Learners completing this course have the key objective of creating an ALE. They will step into the role of an instructional designer. In this scenario, the learner is given three tasks to perform. First, the learner will compare two sample lessons and describe how the presence or absence of constructivist methods enhance and/or detract from the learning experiences. Second, the learner will use provided resources to envision constructivist experiences and incorporate them into sample instruction, aligning these learning experiences with common constructivist principles, practices, and strategies. Finally, they will evaluate their output using expert examples and an authentic learning experience quality checklist. "image:Project_Overview_S-3.pdf"
Introduction: The module begins with a screen which provides an introduction of the learner’s role and key objective. This is done to provide context and motivation for the entire module and specifically for the ill-defined, first linked page entitled “Exploration.” The introduction page also contains links to the three lessons.
Exploration: As learners arrive at this page, they will simply browse the internal links containing information on constructivist principles, practices, and strategies. Their goal is to gather information and form conclusions about conditions, methods and outcomes of constructivist learning experiences and record it on the provided C-M-O worksheet. With constructivist concepts fresh on their minds, learners will advance to Lesson 1.
Lesson 1: Upon arrival at Lesson 1, the learners will view a linked video of two instructional lessons consisting of similar content, yet differing in use of non-authentic and authentic learning experiences. They will then be directed to a blog specifically designed for learners to post responses to the following questions about the video lessons:
   * What deficiencies do you detect in the teacher-centered cognitivist instructional activities?
   * What are the instructional strengths of engaging and learner-centric constructivist activities?
   * What is a clear way to state the need for incorporating more authentic learning experiences into instruction?
This blog will allow learners to formulate and demonstrate their constructed knowledge about constructivism. They will also have opportunity to view and interact with previous learner responses. This is a subtle form of social negotiation characteristic in ALEs. Once the blog activity is completed, the learners will return to the Module and advance to Lesson 2.
Lesson 2: Once learners arrive at Lesson 2, they will view five demonstrations of examples of incorporation of authentic learning experiences within instruction. Learners will then return to the blog designed for learners to post responses to the following questions about the demonstrations.
   * How did the authentic learning experiences in the demonstrations reflect constructivist principles, practices and strategies?
   * In what ways did the authentic learning experiences added to the instruction in the demonstrations enhance the instruction?
Learners will then be directed to a link containing an instructional plan where an authentic learning experience could enhance stated objectives and a quality checklist outlining components of authentic learning experiences (detailed in Lesson 3). Participants will be asked to create an authentic learning experience for the instructional plan which achieves instructional objectives and aligns with components of authentic learning experiences identified on quality checklist.
Lesson 3:
At this lesson, participants will view a video highlighting an expert witness detailing his/her incorporation of an authentic experience to the same lesson given to participants in lesson 2. Expert witness will also detail how he met all the components identified on the quality checklist. Participants will then be asked to self-evaluate their learning by comparing their newly created authentic learning experience from lesson 2 with the authentic learning experience checklist detailed below. Participants will then be asked to evaluate their achievement of incorporating components from quality checklist in their authentic learning experience and to list deficiencies/superiorities of their created authentic learning experience in comparison to authentic learning experience created by expert witness.
This Authentic Learning Experience Checklist was based on Peter Honebein’s material presented at the ISPI 2006 International Conference Workshop Authentic Activities for E-Learning and Beyond. Participants will utilize the following Rubric: then add up the points.
Reference:
Woo, Y., Herrington, J., Agostinho, S., & Reeves, T. (2007). Implementing Authentic Tasks in Web-Based Learning Environments [Electronic Version]. EDUCAUSE Quarterly 30(3).
See:
   * 7 points is a Beginning level designer;
   * 8-14 is a Developing level designer;
   * 15-21 is an Accomplished level.
   * 21 points and higher is considered Expert level for this lesson evaluation.
Design_Document
Topic:Instructional_Design
Syllabus Description
Project Description
Shhammer 23:38, 12 March 2008 (UTC)