OMDE 610 Assignment#2

Heather Martin

OMDE 610 9040

3/7/2013

Assignment#2

Proposal for an Online Asynchronous Computer Assisted Technology Behaviorist-Based Course

BACKGROUND

Eleanor Roosevelt High School is a nine-twelfth grade science and technology institution.  With the emphasis on technology and science, it is crucial to bring the English and literature components up to the school’s high standards.  A series of web-based training courses based on behaviorist theories was determined to be the best course of action.  This documents the first course in a literary series which is designed to raise learner’s comprehension and knowledge of poetry and literature.  The course will be a web-based computer assisted instruction program featuring student-technology interactions.  This course will focus on poetry and review three types in detail: the sonnet, the terza rima, and haiku.  The course is intended for approximately 400 students at the ninth grade level and will last three seat hours administered during school hours.  The goal for the course is to increase student poetry knowledge-based scores by 20% which will be measured utilizing pre-test and post-test assessment technology.

COURSE OUTLINE

Introduction to Computer assisted instruction
Pre-Course Assessment
Module 1	Introduction to Poetry
Lesson 1	Poetry Terms
Lesson 2	Different Types of Poetry
Lesson 3	Understanding  Poetry with Critical Thinking
Module 1 Assessment
Module 2	The Sonnet
Lesson 1	History of the Sonnet
Lesson 2	Creating a Sonnet
Lesson 3	Sonnets and Shakespeare
Module 2 Assessment
Module 3	The Terza Rima
Lesson 1	History of the Terza Rima
Lesson 2	Creating a Terza Rima
Module 3 Assessment
Module 4	The Haiku
Lesson 1	History of the Haiku
Lesson 2	Creating a Haiku
Lesson 3	Translating Japanese Haiku
Module 4 Assessment
Final Post-Course Assessment

ASSESSMENTS

            Throughout the course, students will be assessed in a number of different ways in order to monitor their progress.  These assessments come in three different forms: Pre- and Post- Course Assessments, Knowledge Checks, and End of Module Assessments.

·         Pre- and Post- Course assessments will be used to mark students’ knowledge both before and after the course and will be used to determine the success of the program.

·         Knowledge Checks will be used throughout the course to provide students with positive and negative feedback on their progress.

·         End of Module assessments will take place at the conclusion of each module, allowing instructors and students to place their comprehension of the information in the specific module.

COURSE DELIVERY METHOD

This course will be delivered as an online computer assisted instruction program in four modules, with each module requiring an end of module assessment before completion.   The online nature of the course, as well as the technology in the learning management system, provides students and facilitators with a number of advantages.

One of the primary advantages to utilizing this technology is the learning management system’s ability to track student’s learning progress throughout the course.  The course will track students throughout the course utilizing a number of assessment methods which will allow instructors to view student’s areas of weakness as well as those most improved over the duration of the course.

Another advantage of this delivery method is the flexibility provided by the asynchronous web-based approach (Bates and Poole, 2003).  Students will be able to access the course on their own time from their own homes without need for a teacher’s presence.

Other advantages to utilizing this technological solution include the number of students who can access the course simultaneously.  This technology allows all 400 current freshmen to take the course simultaneously and each receives the same level of instruction (Nagar, 2010).

BEHAVIORIST THEORY

Behaviorist theory is an integral part of the structure of this course.  One of the most critical ways in which behaviorist theory applies is in the reward/punishment feedback a student receives as a result of knowledge checks interspersed throughout the course (Harasim, 2012).  Students who input a correct response will be rewarded with praise such as “Well done!”  Students who input an incorrect response will be punished with negative feedback and prompted to try again.  On a second incorrect response, students will receive even further negative feedback and told the correct answer.

Another utilization of behaviorist theory in this course implementation is the concentration on measurable and achievable results (Harasim, 2012). The use of the Learning Management System to track student progress will help measure student progress.  Students will be required to score at least 75% on the post-course assessment and will be graded based on maintenance or improvement from initial pre-test.

GRADING RUBRIC

Module 1 – Introduction to Poetry
85-100% A ·         Student completed the entire lesson ·         Student received an 85% or higher on module assessment	75-85% B ·         Student completed most of the lesson ·         Student received at least a 75% on module assessment	Lower than 75% ·         Student did not complete the lesson ·         Student received less than a 75% on module assessment
Module 2 – The Sonnet
85-100% A ·         Student completed the entire lesson ·         Student received an 85% or higher on module assessment	75-85% B ·         Student completed most of the lesson ·         Student received at least a 75% on module assessment	Lower than 75% ·         Student did not complete the lesson ·         Student received less than a 75% on module assessment
Module 3 – The Terza Rima
85-100% A ·         Student completed the entire lesson ·         Student received an 85% or higher on module assessment	75-85% B ·         Student completed most of the lesson ·         Student received at least a 75% on module assessment	Lower than 75% ·         Student did not complete the lesson ·         Student received less than a 75% on module assessment
Module 4 – The Haiku
85-100% A ·         Student completed the entire lesson ·         Student received an 85% or higher on module assessment	75-85% B ·         Student completed most of the lesson ·         Student received at least a 75% on module assessment	Lower than 75% ·         Student did not complete the lesson ·         Student received less than a 75% on module assessment
Final Assessment
85-100% A ·         Student improves pre-test assessment by 20% or more or maintains score of over 75%	75-85% B ·         Student improves pre-test assessment by 15% or more or maintains score of over 75%	Lower than 75% ·         Student does not improve score by 15% or score is under 75%

CONCLUSION

Freshman at Eleanor Roosevelt High School currently lack the literature background to complement their science and technology focused education.  The many advantages of the computer based technology including student tracking, ease-of-access, and flexibility make it an ideal application to our learning environment.  This computer assisted instruction course, utilizing web-based asynchronous technology, will help students learn and improve their poetry knowledge through behaviorist theory based training. 

REFERENCES

Bates, A.W., & Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons.

Harasim, L. (2012). Learning theories and online technologies. New York: Routledge.

Nagar, S. (2010). Comparison of major advantages and shortcomings of distance education. International Journal of Educational Administration, 2(2), 329-333.