Artefact 5 - The Use of Analogies in Science Teaching: A Module on Canvas - MDDE 604

When deciding which Artefact to present as my last one, I was in two minds. It was either this one or my Artefact 3 which is now included in my Ph.D. dissertation. The reason why I opted for the process of creating a prototype on Canvas is that this product is the epitome of what I was taught during this Master. It is the ultimate step and the evidence of my acquired skills to consider myself as a distance education instructor.

Apart from this essential point, another reason was that I had to study a lot, choose the best way I could develop my module, and follow the guidelines based on solid theory in order to have a successful outcome. During this process, I felt so creative since I designed and produced my own slide show, modified and subtitled YouTube videos, and used Flexi Quiz to create quizzes, all of which are included in the module.

In addition, I used the insight gained from this course to create another module on Canvas for Greek University students of Geology. Students who study Geology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens have to attend an obligatory course called Didactics of Geosciences and have to produce a lesson plan as a final assignment. I suggested to the Professor that I design an online course which would guide the students to develop a lesson plan step by step and submit it for grading on Canvas educational platform. She agreed and I worked on this project, trying to put in practice all the knowledge acquired. Around 50 students attended it and although the course is not over yet, everything has worked out fine so far.

It is also the Artefact during which, in comparison with all the rest, a greater number of competencies was acquired. It is actually the Artefact with the most acquired competencies.

At the beginning of the course, we had to identify an instructional “problem situation” and conduct a needs assessment so that we can make our proposal. A new guideline from the Ministry of Education in Greece provided me with a “problem situation”. It dictates that graduates from the Faculties of Natural Sciences will be entitled to teach in Secondary schools only if they have received a Certificate of Competency in Teaching Science. It is obvious that a new need has arisen for instructional design regarding learning theories, new teaching technologies, modern teaching techniques to plan science lessons, anything that has to do with the updated concepts which govern science teaching today. While working on that specific first step, I considered not only what I would like to present but also what would benefit more pre-service and in-service science teachers (1.1.). Science teachers have always used analogies in their instruction, even without realizing it but that can lead to the creation of misconceptions, which is a huge issue in comprehending science (1.2.). It is not just about using the appropriate analogy but it is also pointing out where the analogy breaks, which is of the utmost importance. If I were to create an instructional object that would clarify the implications of erroneous use of Analogies in science teaching that would be a great contribution (1.10.).

The whole design was based on the instructional strategies outlined in Instructional Design by Smith & Ragan (2005) to promote interest and motivation and Gagné's nine instructional events (2.2, 2.3.). First of all, in order to gain attention, I tried to find a short but concise video presenting why the use of analogies is imperative in science teaching. There was not a great variety of resources on analogies and I was set to find something that made an impression, so I opted for this one which supported that it is through analogies that we perceive the natural world. I also created a quiz to stimulate prior knowledge. To present the content I followed the ARCS Model by Keller (1983) with a view to producing interesting, meaningful, and challenging instruction (2.7.) and provided personal feedback each time it was needed.

While designing this module, choosing or creating the needed resources and developing activities to achieve the set objectives, I tried to establish a Flow along the process, meaning that extra attention was paid to engage the learners in tasks that were perceived as challenging but at the same time to make them feel that they did possess the sufficient skills to complete these tasks. The main concept, based on the theories of instructional design, was to design and employ activities that build on the learner’s prior knowledge and experience regarding the use of analogies, provide all the necessary practice and insight that is needed to make effective use of analogies, and culminate in enhancing their teaching performance (2.7.). By stimulating prior knowledge and building on that, there was a better chance for the learners to acquire and retain the new knowledge for much longer. It was also more likely that the learners would use the analogies appropriately by the opportunities given to practice what they learned (4.4.).

Regarding the resources that I chose to include, I did a lot of digging on the Internet and the literature I already had about Analogies. It is a very specific concept and it was quite clear in my mind how I wanted to present it. I made a selection of resources and having in mind inclusiveness, I opted for different means of content presentation and engagement (1.4., 1.5.). There was a case that I could not identify any kind of material as appropriate and so I created my own Slideshow in order to present what I thought as essential (1.8., 1.11.).

The presentation of the module on Canvas was of utmost importance since there was no physical presence of the instructor. The material should be presented in such a way that could keep the students’ interest. I used a lot of colorful pictures, videos and the texts were short and to the point. Additionally, there were a  lot of practice opportunities to enhance learners' abilities to use analogies correctly (4.6.). This module is targeted at science teachers, people who already have a university degree and my writing style was chosen accordingly. Actually, we had our peers to check the style using FOG as to reassure each other about the appropriateness and consistency of our module's reading level (4.1.).

Completing this module on Canvas took a great deal of time and making it attractive and effective at the same time was hard work. I spent hours working on it, creating all the components I wanted to include and selecting the appropriate material (2.5.). There were always deadlines to meet and feedback to provide so I kept busy throughout the Fall 2018 trimester (6.5.). It was not just the creation of the module; part of the assignment was to visit other peers’ modules, taking up the role of the student, provide useful feedback and then, we all had to revise our work accordingly. I came to appreciate this procedure so much and I actually realized the value of peer-assisted learning. I learned not only from the feedback I got back but also from the feedback I had to give. I had to support my suggestions and present them in a way that would be beneficial and not insulting. I tried always to positively comment on the strong points of my peers’ work and make some suggestions with extra care and consideration (4.2,.4.3., 4.4.).

Working on this assignment has made me appreciate Canvas as an educational platform and at the same time realize its potential. What I designed could potentially reach out to a huge number of students (3.3.). There is an increasing trend of people studying online and in the case of the science teachers, e-learning could be the answer to the huge problem of their professional training (6.1.).

Canvas proved a great tool for creating an online course, but not without any problems. The way such a platform works can accommodate a lot of students and there are a lot of opportunities for interaction among peers, should the instructor incorporate it in the design. I had trouble with the quizzes though; it did not provide me with a lot of options, so I turned to Flex Quiz which, in comparison, worked much better for what I wanted to create (1.6., 3.2., 3.4.).

The insight I have gained from this whole procedure and my involvement developing this course put me in a position to suggest creating a module on Canvas for university students, that would eventually guide them into completing a lesson plan (6.3.). The way the campus-based course on Didactics at the Department of geology was structured was insufficient to help the students providing a lesson plan. What I did was to create a step-by-step guide for them, which proved quite effective (3.5.).

This was one of the most informative experiences that can have a great impact on the way I teach and I intend to take full advantage of it.

References:

Keller, J. M. (1983). Motivational design of instruction. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional-design theories and models (pp. 383–434). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Smith, P. L., & Ragan, T. J. (2005). Instructional Design (Third ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &Sons, Inc.