EDER 679.09 L20

Current Topics in Instructional Design

Time: Tues/Thurs 16:30-19:30

13 May to 24 June. 1999

Course Outline

Instructors: W. Bruce Clark William J. Hunter
  602A Education Tower 602C Education Tower
  Phone: (403) 220-7363 Phone: (403) 220-5507
  Email: bclark@ucalgary.ca Email: hunter@ucalgary.ca

Overview

The evolution of cognitive science and the failure of "traditional" instructional design to satisfactorily address the need for learning in complex situations has prompted the evolution of a growing counter-culture within the discipline. This is frequently characterized as a debate between the traditionalists and the constructivists. The purpose of this course is not to enter into the debate but rather to examine some of the instructional approaches (anchored instruction, microworlds, goal-based scenarios, simulations and case based learning) associated with this counter-culture and their theoretical foundations. The course will be divided into two parts, the first led by Dr. Clark, the second by Dr. Hunter. Resources There is no assigned text for the course. A list of suggested readings and web sites will be given in class. Assignments & Grading Readings, discussion, and design activities will permeate the course. You are expected to participate in all of these to receive credit for the course. In addition there will be one major assignment associated with each part of the course. Each assignment will constitute 45% of the course mark; participation in course activities will constitute the remaining 10%.

Part 1:

It is expected that some students in the course will prefer to pursue the theoretical and research underpinnings associated with instructional design for complex learning; others may wish to try their hand at designing (though not necessarily producing) a goal based scenario or simulation. Therefore you will have a choice of writing a paper (approximately 20 pages) on a relevant topic, or developing the design of a goal-based scenario for a particular audience and content set. More details about the assignment will be given in class.

Part 2:

Efforts to encourage and support learning at a distance require methods that engage learners in working with a body of information in personally meaningful ways.  Microworlds, virtual worlds and case-based learning all attempt to provide the impetus for such engagement.  Students will explore a variety of such methods and will aim their work toward a critical examination reflected in either an evaluation of one or more sites based on a set of criteria derived from theory and/or research, a comparative analysis of two or more sites that have either common content objectives or common instructional methods (the analysis should strive to develop principles for future developments) or a detailed proposal for a site that would use one or more of the above techniques to engage learners in meaningful learning (with emphasis on the rationale for expecting that the site would work).

The following is a metaphoric interpretation of the grading scale:

 
A Excellent Walks on water
A- Very good Olympic class swimmer
B+ Good Competent swimmer
B Satisfactory Permitted in deep end of pool
B- Close call If it weren't for the life jacket
C Oops We commit this body to the deep

Class Topics
Part 1
May
13
 Instructional Design, Complex Learning & Constructivism
 
18
 Situated Cognition & Cognitive Apprenticeship
 
20
 Microworlds & Anchored Instruction
 
25
 Goal Based Scenarios
 
27
 Goal Based Scenarios (Round 2)
June
1
 Simulations & Simulators
 
3
 Mid-course synthesis
Part 2
June
8
 Objectivist teaching/subjectivist learning
 
10
 Virtuality and virtuosity
 
15
 Just in time--just in case^M
 
17
 Writing cases, using cases
 
22
 Picking and choosing
 
24
 Presentations/reflections