Week 2 - Chapters 4 through 9

Identify a specific learning goal and how you would incorporate two learning theories highlighted in Chapter 4 to achieve this goal.

Learning Goal:  Ordering “Everyone” call numbers

2 learning theories to achieve this goal:  

• Cognitive learning theory – explain to students why they would want to be able to order “Everyone” call numbers 
• Behavioral learning theory – praise students as they correctly order “Everyone” call numbers

Find a reference (other than the book) that describes Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction. Then create a table or chart that compares and contrasts those events with the first principles described in chapter 7 and describe how you would apply each of the first principles to the goal you've developed from the first activity in this reflection.

Other reference:  http://kcdevry.wikidot.com/theories-of-learning

This was a cool site for not only Gagné's Nine Events of Instruciton, but also a summary of other theories that I refer to often when talking to others about student needs, such as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Comparison of Gagné and First Principles:

Gagné	First Principles
Gain Attention	Activation - Question
Share Session Objectives	Created by learner?
Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning	Instigated by learner?
Deliver Content	Demonstration - See
Provide Guidance	No guidance?
Elicit Performance	Application - Do
Provide Feedback	Results of application are feedback?
Assess Performance	Self-assessment?
Enhance Retention and Transfer	Integration – Apply to life

  

“First principles” seems to be something that can be done more independently.  No teacher is assumed.  This does not necessarily negate Gagné’s steps, but does not explicitly require them.

Develop a new goal or using the one you've already developed, briefly describe how you might use the whole-task approach, scaffolding, and mathemagenic methods to help students learn to perform a task.

New Goal:  The students will be able to find books on the shelves that they want to check out. 

This is a whole-task goal, that I would teach in a scaffolded design.  First students learn to order books by call number.  Then they learn to look up a book in the online catalog, giving them a call number to find the book.  Then students learn to go to the shelves and find the book.  To make this learning task more mathemagenic, I could start out by teaching alphabetization used in a variety of situations such as class lists, then applying it to the author’s names in call numbers in the first step.

You have been hired to design a course for a topic in your area of specialization. Using Table 9.2 as a template, what would you incorporate into each subcategory to motivate learners?

Attention

Perceptual Arousal:  Have students write their names on sentence strips

Inquiry Arousal:  Students will wonder what the sentence strips are for.

Variability:  Try reverse alphabetical order or putting other things in order such as last names or favorite animals.

Relevance

Goal Orientation:  Students want to find specific books they request.

Motive Matching:  When students ask me to find books for them, I can provide this method up front for them to help themselves.

Familiarity:  Students want to find books every week in the library.

Confidence

Learning Requirements:  Scaffold in small steps so students don’t feel overwhelmed by the task of finding a book on the shelf.

Success Opportunities:  Once the student is able to find books on their own, they will have the opportunity to experience success every time they come to the library. 

Personal Control:  The learners will be going to the shelves themselves and finding the books, first with help, but then independently.

Satisfaction

Intrinsic Reinforcement:  Students will practice every week on their own when they come to the library.

Extrinsic Rewards:  Tangible book student wants to check out and read.

Equity:  I think the question in the book was misleading for this word.  Equity deals with helping all the students.  Will all the students feel that this accomplishment benefits them?  Yes.  All the students come to the library, and while they have different interests, each student will be helped in gaining the knowledge to find the books that interest each of them.  This skill is equally valuable to all students.

Finally, after completing these activities, discuss the benefits of engaging in design research.

Lesson design research helps us create better learning experiences for our students.  As instructors, our goal is the best prepared, best educated students possible.  This includes teaching them to help themselves and teach themselves.  If they can find their own information, they can better educate themselves.  If we can find better ways to educate, we better achieve our goal.  Every student is different, and we have to find a way to reach each one.