Week 13: Presentation of Final Product

The presentation of our final product begins. This is our site for the final project.

This is the URL for our Google site:
https://sites.google.com/site/heideiz88sci/home









The other 3 groups’ presentation:


Rafidah’s group: Saving Mother Earth (Google site)









Faiz’s group: Animal Extinction (Blog)






Syafiq’s group: The Phases of Moon (Blog)






Done with the presentation. Now, I would like to give my opinions on the use of Google sites as a platform in order to enhance teaching and learning of science.

1- The integration of technology such as Google sites in teaching and learning of science has the potential to arouse students’ interest and indirectly, engage them in learning science subject.

2- Google sites could assist teacher in teaching and give students a better understanding in learning science. This is especially when they have to deal with certain concepts that are difficult to be explained verbally. For example, using Google sites could help students to understand the Solar System and its constituents. This is because this platform provides a space for teacher to upload videos which make students easier to visualise and increase their understanding.

3- This kind of technology however has limitation. The internet facility should be considered in order to use it for teaching and learning. Therefore, it is best to save it into CDs if teachers face this situation.


Before and after the introduction of ADDIE model:

At first, I thought that designing and producing instructional material is just about using various teaching materials for teaching science. I don’t know that many aspects should be taken into consideration when designing this teaching materials and it also needs a good planning.

Through the introduction of ADDIE model;

I realize that it must start with a good instructional planning. The earliest phase needs us to analyze and come out with a concept map.

The second phase which is Design Phase requires us to design and visualise how the material will be presented.

The third phase of ADDIE model is Development phase. This is where the materials are developed and produced as a solid product.

These phases are fundamental in order to have a systematic planning and to produce a teaching material with good quality.


This semester really gives me ideas on how the teaching and learning of science subject could be carried out in a more creative and interesting way. it also gives me ideas on how increase teaching and learning through the integration of technology. Thank you Prof for the knowledge and the values integrated in the lectures.

Week 12: Site in progress !

This week, we were given the whole 3 hours to focus on designing our website. Thanks to Prof. because we were running out of time. There are a lot of works to be completed and these 3 hours are the time for us to get everything done. We really appreciate it Prof!


Now, back to our website progress. We started by designing the homepage as it should be interesting and able to capture students’ attention. We also focused on searching for reading materials related to our topic, “Solar System”. In addition, we thought that it is good if the students could get further information from this website. Therefore, we decided to include several links which are suitable and related to the topic. Other things that we did during these 3 hours were designing the layout, browsing for pictures and designing attractive homepage.


After focusing on designing this website, we then had a short discussion in order to finalize and justify everything. We need to write a report about this website and this must take into consideration the learning problems of students that we are focusing on. Good planning and discussion are important as this is our final assignment and these would ensure that we can fulfill the task requirement.


Get everything done and next week is……………. GROUP PRESENTATION!!!

Week 11: STORYBOARD

This week is the second phase of our progress in completing the last assignment which is about development of simple instruction materials. This is a group work.
These are the requirements for this assignment:


DEVELOPMENT OF SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS (GROUP WORK)

Develop an instructional material for teaching science. You can choose any mode (eg. On-line materials INCLUDING Web 2.0 tools, CD, etc ) You need to present the instructional material to class and submit a written report in the following format:

I - objective of the materials
ii - flowchart
iii- sample of hard copy of the materials


We chose the topic of ‘Solar System’ and we decided to use Google sites as a platform of designing the instructional material. The second phase requires us to come out with proper planning and we have to sketch a storyboard.


After having a quite long discussion, we decided to come out with a simple storyboard.




* This is our storyboard 1

Week 10: ADDIE Model

For this week, we were introduced to the ADDIE model. This model consists of five phases. Those phases are:

1- Analysis phase
2- Design phase
3- Development phase
4- Implementation
5- Evaluation


:: ANALYSIS PHASE ::

The learning problem is identified, the goals and objective of the lesson is predetermined, the delivery options and the timeline for the project are decided.


:: DESIGN PHASE ::

The storyboard is designed for the entire website.


:: DEVELOPMENT PHASE ::

The actual product and the designed tool.


:: IMPLEMENTATION PHASE ::

The tool is tested. Thus, the effectiveness of the tool will be evaluated and the weaknesses and strengths are discovered.


:: EVALUATION PHASE ::

Feedback is gained for making improvements and modifications.

Week 9: Group Presentation >>>> TEAMWORK!

For this presentation, we have to choose an online tool whether it is wikis or blog and design an educational website to be used for teaching and learning. We are the fourth group and we chose Facebook as the online tool. Using facebook, we use the quiz application whereby we created a set of questions about ‘Solar System’.
However, we made a mistake because we did not fully explore the applications in facebook that can be used as educational website for teaching and learning. Thanks to Prof. because she gave us the second chance to improve our educational website.





The other 3 groups presented their own choice of educational website.

Group 1: BLOG

This group chose blog for teaching about ‘Endangered Species’. This gave us ideas on how to integrate the applications if we are using blog for our future teaching.



Group 2: WIKIS

This group chose Google site as it is good and flexible to be designed. This is suitable to be used for teaching and learning as it could meet the needs of primary school students.



Group 3: INSTANT MESSAGING

This group chose to use instant messaging as an after class activity. This is applicable in order for students to get immediate feedback from teacher and also their peers. Besides that, it could help teacher to improve their teaching for the next class.

Week 8: The importance of Systematic Evaluation

There are many aspects that should be taken into consideration when we want to create an educational website which is used for teaching and learning purpose. Therefore, rubric plays an important role to help us when using the platform for an educational purpose. A rubric functions as a checklist and reminder for us as we might overlook certain aspects when designing a learning website. There are a lot of aspects that should be taken into consideration in designing a website for educational purpose.


Those aspects are:

1) USABILITY CRITERIA:
- purpose
- homepage
- navigation
- design
- enjoyment
- readabilility

2) CONTENT CRITERIA:
- authority
- accuracy
- relevance
- sufficiency
- appropriateness

3) EDUCATIONAL VALUE CRITERIA:
- learning activities
- activity plan
- resources
- communication
- feedback
- rubric
- help tools

4) VIVIDNESS CRITERIA:
- links
- updating


Reasons for the need of rubrics to evaluate an educational website:

1- Determine whether the website is updated for being used in teaching and learning process. This is important in order to provide students with latest information about the topics taught.

2- To ensure that the learning website is usable in terms of functionality. Visitors especially students will refuse to pursue the content if the website functions poorly or does not function at all.

3- To clarify whether the website is user-friendly or the other way around. This is important on order to engage students in learning.

Week 7: Knowledge Sharing~

For this week lecture, we were introduced to some platforms that can be used for teaching and learning process. Those platforms are:

1- Wikis
2- Blog
3- Social networking
4- Media sharing


These four platforms are different from each other in terms of certain functions. However, they have the potential to provide knowledge for sharing. Moreover, these platforms allow communication to take place through instant chatting and feedback received as comments.


Among these platforms, I think that wikis are more suitable to be used for this knowledge sharing purpose. One example of wikis that can be used for knowledge sharing is Google sites.


The applications in wikis provide a new learning space for the students besides engaging in daily classroom learning. Wikis has the advantages whereby we can control the navigation and we can also add anything that we like such as videos, quizzes and many more.


Wikis has the potential to help teacher in giving additional information about certain topics taught in classroom. This would help students to enhance their learning especially in learning science. As mentioned earlier, a Google site is one good platform for teaching science. Moreover, Google sites provide a space for students to have online discussion with teachers and also their peers.


This is an example of using Google sites for teaching and learning process.




This Google site is used for my PKEY 3101.

Week 6: We are in the lab !

This week is quite interesting because it is more on the application of Micro-computer based laboratory (MBL).


My group chose to use the data logger in this lab. A data logger (also datalogger or data recorder) is an electronic device that records data over time or in relation to location either with a built in instrument or sensor or via external instruments and sensors. They generally are small, battery powered, portable, and equipped with a microprocessor, internal memory for data storage, and sensors. Some data loggers interface with a personal computer and utilize software to activate the data logger and view and analyze the collected data, while others have a local interface device (keypad, LCD) and can be used as a stand-alone device.





We used this data logger for measuring temperature, which is one of its applications. We used data logger to measure the body and room temperature. This has been a new technology for us because we used to measure temperature using thermometer. What makes this tool more sophisticated is that it is able to convert the temperature recorded into table. From there, it provides the information about the temperature of different mediums.


In terms of application in classroom, I think that teacher can use it for teaching primary school students. This takes into consideration of the procedures involved in using this tool. For example, students just need to use the temperature probe to measure the temperature and the software will help them to record the data (temperature readings).


Advantages of using this application:

1- This data logger is easy to handle and it is not dangerous for students when using it. They just need to use the probe to measure the temperature.

2- Data logger provides accurate measurement. This will be easier for students as they do not need to manually calculate the information gathered. This data logger helps them to get the readings and it is able to convert the readings into table form


Disadvantages of this data logger:

1- This kind of tool is used by connecting it to the computers. Therefore, it would be a disadvantage if there is a limited computer facility. It would also be a problem if there are not enough probes to be used by students.

2- Considering the application in classroom, I think it is not applicable if the students are assigned to use this tool in groups. This is because some students might refuse to participate when they are in groups.


In conclusion, this data logger is suitable for to be used in teaching primary school students. In my opinion, by considering the problems which might be faced by students, teachers would be able to overcome those problems and use this application to enhance students learning in science subject.

Week 5: Strategies in Designing Application Tools

For this week lecture, we were introduced to 7 strategies in designing application tools for teaching and learning science.


The 7 strategies are:
1- MBL- Micro-Computer Based Laboratory
2- Drill and practice
3- Tutorials
4- Simulation
5- Problem-solving
6- Info-retrieval
7- Educational games



Among these 7 strategies, there are a few of them are mostly applied for teaching science at primary school level. Those strategies are drill and practice, simulation, and educational games.


:: DRILL AND PRACTICE ::

Drill and practice promotes the acquisition of knowledge or skill through repetitive practice. Drills are usually repetitive and are used as a reinforcement tool. In learning science, students have to deal with a lot of science concepts and some might be struggling to memorize it. Therefore, drills play a very important role so that students would not make mistakes and avoid from misinterpreting the science concepts. Indirectly, it acts as a reinforcement tool for students’ learning. Practice is like a stage whereby students make exercises in order to test their level of understanding about the topics taught. Besides that, drill and practice can provide a strong basis for students in primary level. This strong basis is fundamental as they will move to secondary school whereby they have to be more independent in learning.


:: EDUCATIONAL GAMES ::

Games are suitable to be applied as reinforcement tools for students in learning science. This also helps to motivate children in learning science as they would find that learning science is fun and not frustrating or confusing. Indirectly, it would engage students in learning the topics taught in classroom. Games have the potential in developing students’ thinking skills. We could say that students are playing the games and some might say that it is just for fun. However, we must realize that children learn through playing. While their conscious minds are focusing on the games, their subconscious minds are also working by grasping the intended input contained in the games.




:: SIMULATION ::

Simulation is also important in enhancing students’ learning in science subject. This is because simulation is useful for displaying things that students cannot see with their bare eyes and touch it using their hands. For examples, simulation could help students to understand the solar system and its constituents. It is impossible for teacher to “bring in” the solar system into the classroom. Therefore, simulation helps students to gain better understanding about the solar system.




All in all, teachers should try to use various strategies in order to enhance students’ learning in science subject. By taking into consideration about the students’ cognitive level and age, these kinds of strategies would be useful to help them understand better. This is important in order to ensure that each of the students is able to grab the input given by teachers.

Third Lecture (4th week): LEARNING THEORIES

:: Behaviourist vs Constructivist ::


What is the behaviourist (directed instructional) approach?

Behaviorist (directed instructional) approach is one approach whereby teacher plays a central role in classroom such as in explaining, modeling, http://www.blogger.com/and providing opportunities for practice with feedback. Direct instruction does not assume that students will develop insights on their own. Instead, direct instruction takes learners through the steps of learning systematically, helping them see both the purpose and the result of each step.


There are a few basic components of direct instruction which are:
1- Setting clear goals for students and making sure they understand these goals.
2- Presenting a sequence of well-organized assignments.
3- Giving students clear, concise explanations and illustrations of the subject matter.
4- Asking frequent questions to see if the students understand the work.
5- Giving students frequent opportunities to practice what they have learned.


Directed instructional approach is based on teacher-centered classroom whereby teacher is the knowledge disseminator and the students passively receive the knowledge from teacher. This teacher-centered classroom could create a learning environment which is very structured and students need to follow teacher’s instruction and steps in order to learn a subject. Although the role of students is as the passive knowledge receiver, it is useful when it comes to teaching them theoretical-based subject. By using this method, the intended learning outcomes could be achieved. Moreover, this method is useful for monitoring students learning progress and to ensure that the steps are systematically applied without overlooking at any teaching steps.


Besides that, there are also learning websites for science subject which are designed using this approach. The main reason for using this approach would be focusing on the learning outcomes and the intended input that should be grabbed by students in the learning websites. By using this approach, students who do not have the prior knowledge especially in science subject, would not have problems in constructing their knowledge. Therefore, creating learning websites based on this approach would somehow guide the students and increase their level of understanding in learning science.

Some examples of learning websites which apply this approach are:
1) http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/



2) 2) http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/




What is Constructivist Approach?


Constructivist approach is focusing on the students’ capacity to construct their own understanding based on the topics taught. In other words, they prefer to be active learners rather than being passive knowledge receiver. In this approach, students construct their own understanding based on their prior knowledge. This can be a student-centered learning environment which could enhance their learning.


This approach is also integrated in creating learning websites for teaching science. Below are some examples of learning websites which integrate this approach.

1) http://www.kidsastronomy.com/



2) 2) http://www.tryscience.org/



All in all, both approaches are useful and can be integrated in order to enhance students learning in science subject.