14 August 2011

Instructional Design Project #2



Project title: Incorporating games and simulations into biology curriculum
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Revisions since Report 1: I chose one game for demonstrating Natural Selection and Evolution. It’s called “Who Wants to Live a Million Years?” and is found online (for free) at http://science.discovery.com/interactives/literacy/darwin/darwin.html

I chose one game for demonstrating the genotypes that give you the phenotypic blood types. It’s called “The Blood Typing Game” and is found online (for free) at http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/landsteiner/index.html
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Goal statement:Overall Goal - By incorporating technology, in the form of games and simulations, into biology lessons, I will create curriculum that students consider highly motivating, but that will also, at the same time, improve student content knowledge, build student conceptual knowledge, and increase student problem-solving skills.

Specific Design Goal For Natural Selection – Students will play the game “Who Wants to Live a Million Years,” in addition to their prescribed lessons, to learn about natural selection and evolution.

Specific Design Goal for Blood Typing – Students will play “The Blood Typing Game,” in addition to their prescribed lessons, to learn about the genotypes that make up the blood phenotypes.
Specific Student Learning Goal For Natural Selection – Students will address Benchmark: SC.912.L.15.3 (which states: Describe how biological diversity is increased by the origin of new species and how it is decreased by the natural process of extinction (FLDOE 2009)) by playing the game “Who Wants to Live a Million Years?” and completing the corresponding lessons & worksheets.

Specific Student Learning Goal for Blood Typing – Students will address Benchmark: SC.912.L.16.1 (which states: Use Mendel's laws of segregation and independent assortment to analyze patterns of inheritance (FLDOE 2009), Benchmark: SC.912.L.16.2 (which states: Discuss observed inheritance patterns caused by various modes of inheritance, including dominant, recessive, codominant, sex-linked, polygenic, and multiple alleles (FLDOE 2009), Benchmark: SC.912.L.14.34 (which states: Describe the composition and physiology of blood, including that of the plasma and the formed elements (FLDOE 2009)), and Benchmark: SC.912.L.14.35 (which states: Describe the steps in hemostasis, including the mechanism of coagulation. Include the basis for blood typing and transfusion reactions (FLDOE 2009)) by playing “The Blood Typing Game” and completing the corresponding lessons & worksheets.
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Task analysis tied to the goals: I plan on using topic analysis for understanding the facts, concepts, and principles tied to understanding the science concepts. But I also will tie in parts of a procedural analysis because I want the students to apply those facts, concepts, and principles in games and simulations so that the students will understand and learn those lessons well.

For a task analysis specific to both games – Most of the facts, concepts and principles will be addressed in the prep-work, before the students play this game. The rules and procedures of the game must be addressed in the accompanying worksheet (see procedural analysis, below). I will try to make the lesson fun and attractive to help motivate the students.

For a procedural analysis specific to both games – I will need to cover the game rules and player instructions in this section. Once students are playing the Evolution game, I will need to cover the procedures and processes of Natural Selection & Evolution. This will help them to understand the concepts and lesson. While students are playing the blood typing game, I will ask questions to help them understand why blood types are specific and the inherited genes that cause those specific blood types. Also, they will need to understand the procedures for blood transfusions and blood typing.
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Instructional objectives:
General Instructional Objectives:Cognitive – students will need to understand the facts, concepts, and principles associated with each lesson. The games will provide intellectual activities that will help them demonstrate these concepts and help them predict future situations in the games.

Psychomotor – students will be actively manipulating the games, using psychomotor skills, in order to play.

Affective – students will hopeful learn an appreciation and value for the lessons and the species/patients involved in the game. Also, the incorporation of game will be highly motivational for the student.

Specific for Natural Selection and Evolution:To explore how several varieties of a species can, through natural selection, evolve into one new species with the most successful and heritable traits to help students comprehend and apply Natural Selection and Evolution.

To understand that Natural Selection is a primary mechanism leading to evolutionary change (i.e., survival of the fittest / those with the traits to live pass those traits on to their offspring) so that students can apply, analyze, and synthesize their own species to try to succeed, evolutionarily speaking.

To understand that the natural processes in the environment and interactions with other species may cause extinction (i.e., disease, climate change, predation, and so on) so that students can evaluate the situation and possibly synthesize their own preventions of extinction for their species.

Specific for Blood Typing:
To analyze the genotypes involved in phenotypic blood types (i.e., AO genotype results in Type A phenotype, and so on) so students understand where blood types originate.

To recognize characteristics (traits) that offspring inherit from parents (i.e., inheriting an O from Mom and a B from Dad results in a BO genotype and Type B phenotype, and so on) so that students understand where the genes for blood types originate.

To understand that blood cells have characteristic structures and functions that make them distinctive (i.e., antigen A, antigen B, and so on) so that students can comprehend the differences in blood types.

To understand the process of blood typing and how to interpret the results (genotype and phenotype) so that the student can apply this information to patients in the game.

To understand the process of blood transfusions and the problems that can occur if done incorrectly (i.e., patient may die) so that students may apply this information to patients in the game.
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Instructional sequence:
For both games:

Interest: The student will be interested in playing a game. One game is helping patients which students may find interesting since they play the part of a healthcare worker. The other game is picking variations of a species and trying to get it to survive, which students seem to like competition and animals.

Development: Students must TABE at a level 9 (9th grade learning level) to be able to attend this school. Therefore learners can read and comprehend this material.

Content/Identifiable Prerequisite: Students will read their text and complete corresponding worksheets to obtain background knowledge of the information.

Familiarity: On the assignment, there will be pre-instructional information to refresh the prereq.’s and specify which concepts the lessons will cover.

Task/Difficulty: The student will ease into the lesson by first obtaining the necessary materials, followed a list of procedures beginning with light activities that progress into thought-provoking questions (i.e., turn on the computer, find the website, read the background info, answer questions about the background info, progress further into more cognitive material while answering more thoughtful questions, and so on). The last questions will involve the higher order thinking levels like analyze, apply, synthesize, and evaluate those concepts covered in the lesson.
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Strategies for objectives:
For both games:
Recall – students must first recall the information that is being covered in that particular unit (i.e., definitions of natural selection and evolution, what is a blood type, how genes are inherited, and so on). This will incorporate primarily cognitive procedures.

Integration and Organization – the students will apply these concepts while playing the game. By applying the information, students will be “streamlining” the information into more easily remembered ways. Also they will interrelating key ideas/concepts by analyzing their applications. This will incorporate cognitive and psychomotor procedures.

Elaboration – students will be asked to apply their own ideas to the games (i.e., choosing their own varieties in the species and seeing how natural selection/evolution worked on their choices). This will incorporate cognitive and psychomotor procedures.
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Details on objectives:
Specific for Natural Selection & Evolution:
Cognitive – students will need to understand the facts, concepts, and principles associated with each lesson. There will be general questions that correspond to the introduction of the game/simulation and Charles Darwin that the students will answer. This will insure that they are refreshed with the ideas and concepts involved. As they continue in the game/simulation, they will apply this knowledge of natural selection and see the outcome of their choices. This application will allow them to analyze their choices within the parameters of the concepts. They can go further by evaluating their choices and try new parameters to see the outcome. This form of game/simulation lets them synthesize their own situations, predicting a certain outcome, and evaluate their decisions. This will help them thoroughly understand each of the instructional objectives and Sunshine State Standards for this topic.

Psychomotor – students will be actively manipulating the games, using psychomotor skills, in order to play. They will have to choose the variations of the species, so they will have to manipulate the mouse and use hand-eye coordination to run the game/simulation.

Affective – students will hopeful learn an appreciation and value for the lessons and the species/patients involved in the game. Also, the incorporation of game will be highly motivational for the student.

For Blood Typing:
Cognitive – students will need to understand the facts, concepts, and principles associated with each lesson. There is an excellent source of information available before starting the game/simulation. Students will be asked questions about this information to help them recall the concepts/ideas involved in this lesson. Students will have several links to a variety of information with questions and directions to guide them through this refresher. Once the learners have started the game/simulation they will get to apply these concepts to patients. There they will analyze and evaluate their decisions of giving blood transfusions. This process will help drive home the concepts involved in each instructional objective and the Sunshine State Standards.

Psychomotor – students will be actively manipulating the games, using psychomotor skills, in order to play. They have to manipulate the mouse on the screen and maneuver to several webpages. They will have to use hand-eye coordination to run the game/simulation by doing blood tests and transfusions.

Affective – students will hopeful learn an appreciation and value for the lessons and the species/patients involved in the game. Also, the incorporation of game will be highly motivational for the student.
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Practice for objectives:
For Natural Selection & Evolution:Practice & Feedback – students will choose varieties of a fictional species. Students are given a guide to the varieties they choose (i.e., furry is good for cold weather, but bad in warm weather, etc.) so that they can make informed decisions about their choice in varieties. Once they run the game/simulation, the students see if their variety choices will succeed in creating a species that would last a million years. Of course there are problems that challenge the success of the species, just like in real life. And students get a real dose of what is involved in succession of a species, natural selection, and evolution. They can take what they learn and go back to the drawing board, choose new variations, and watch their progress. The game/simulation gives them feedback in the form of success or failure by their species living a million years or not. If they fail, the game /simulation tells them why they failed (i.e., a predator, climate change, a disease, and so on).

For Blood Typing:Practice & Feedback – students will do blood typing on patients that have survived a car crash. Based on the results of the blood typing, they will choose the types of blood needed for a transfusion. As soon as the student starts the transfusion they will receive negative feedback, if necessary. For example, if the patient has Type B blood and the student gives them Type A blood, the patient immediately goes into shock. The game/simulation tells them what the problem is and requires the student to choose another type of blood. If the student continues to get it wrong, the patient dies. If however, the student chooses the right blood type, the game/simulation gives them immediate positive feedback and tells the student if the patient requires more blood or not. If not, that patient is taken away. If so, the student must choose another blood type for transfusion.
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Preinstructional activities:
Motivation for both lessons:Graphics - lessons will include graphics to help students feel more comfortable in playing the games/simulations.

Headings – clearly defined headings will cut the lessons into sections so that students can take the lessons step-by-step, which will make the lessons less intimidating.

Preinstructional material – or introduction will help draw the student in. By posing a question or giving a paragraph introduction, students will likely begin the first step of the lesson, which will hopefully encourage them to continue.

Technology – because of the use of technology, most students, who seem to like technology, will be motivated to complete the lesson more so than lessons that just involve worksheets and textbooks. Also, the fact that the lessons involve games/simulations may be quite motivational to students who enjoy playing games on their own.
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Groupings and media:
Student Groupings – are not really applicable. Students are all on different paces and topics since the whole school promotes self-paced learning. Therefore, students will do this lesson by themselves, whenever they get to that point of the unit.

Instructional Media – the preinstructional worksheets will be done by the students using a textbook and worksheets. In both cases, there is a computer lab that will be done before completing these new lessons. So, a computer and some technology (either software or internet) will be used to prepare for these lessons. Once the student begins this lesson, they will use the worksheet that contains the instructions and questions for the lesson and the computer to do the lesson. They will also need something to write with and perhaps their textbook for reference. Of course, an instructor will be in the room as a resource, if needed.
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Sample assessments:
For Natural Selection & Evolution:Pre-test (before running the game/simulation) Sample Questions – Darwin’s logic states “every species exhibits variations.” What does that mean? What eventually happens to a variety? What does “survival of the fittest” mean? What will eventually happen to the whole species that follows “survival of the fittest”? What causes evolution and natural selection?

Post-test (after running the game/simulation) Sample Questions – What are the varieties that you chose for your species? After the first event, are your varieties still present? Did the species change? What about after the second event? What about after the third event? Did your species survive…why or why not? How did your species survive the first (second &/or third) event? What causes evolution and natural selection?

For Blood Typing:Pre-test (before running the game/simulation) Sample Questions - Can a person with Rh+ blood receive blood from a person with Rh-? A patient has type A blood. You give her type B blood. What will happen? If a patient has type AB blood, what four types of blood can you give him? If the blood clots in the A tube, and the B tube and the Rh tube, then what blood type does the patient have?

Post-test (after running the game/simulation) Sample Questions – Can a person with A blood receive B blood? What would happen? What type of blood can a universal donor receive? Why are they called a universal donor? What type of blood can a universal receiver receive? Why are they considered a universal receiver?
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Relevant current references:Florida Department of Education. (2009). Next Generation Sunshine State Standards. Retrieved 12 June 2009 at http://www.floridastandards.org/Standards/FLStandardSearch.aspx

Kiili, K. (2005). Educational Game Design: Experiential gaming model revised. Tampere University of Technology. Pori, Research report 4, 1-12. Retrieved 22 May 2009 at http://amc.pori.tut.fi/publications/EducationalGameDesign.pdf

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., & Kemp, J. E. (2007). Designing Effective Instruction, Fifth Edition. New Baskerville: John Wiley & Sons.

Shih, Y., E. (2005). Seize Teachable and Learnable Moments: SMSE instructional design model for mobile learning. Paper presented at the International Association for Development of the Information Society International Conference Mobile Learning June 28-30, Malta. Retrieved 22 May 2009 at http://www.iadis.net/dl/final_uploads/200506L012.pdf

Ulrich, Kathy. (2004). Designing Constructivist Lessons Using the 5 E Model. Retrieved 12 June 2009 at http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/fellows/Ullrich/webquest/mkuindex.html

Wetzel, D. R. (2008). How to Design an Effective Science Lesson: Developing lessons which engage students in critical thinking. Suite 101.com. Retrieved 12 June 2009 at http://teachertipstraining.suite101.com/how_to_design_an_effective_science_lesson

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