03 September 2011

Instructional Design Project Report #3


Project title: Incorporating games and simulations into biology curriculum

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Revisions since Report 2: Incorporated many more questions into the lessons. After the trials, I then edited the lessons (reworded, added, subtracted, etc.) to enhance the learning experience.

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Goal statementOverall 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
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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Plan for one-to-one formative evaluation:

For both lessons:
Learners: students are between the ages of 15 and 19. All have at least a ninth grade reading level (requirement for our school). All students are taking Biology (Ref#2000310) 1A.
Materials: students will use their textbook, worksheet, writing utensils, and lab computers. The students will access the internet from the lab computer. Students will be given an oral interview, after they finish, about what they thought of the game/simulation and lesson.
Procedures: students, one at a time and at their own pace, will complete background work (required reading and assignments) before attempting the new lessons. When students think they are ready, I will give them the new lesson. Students can then go to the computers and bring up the internet/website. The lesson will have detailed procedures for the students, in case they are not comfortable using the computer/internet. Students can use their textbook and worksheets as reference materials. While they are working on the lesson, I will periodically go talk to them to see if they are in need of assistance. I will also ask them some easy questions about whatever is on their screen, to help them feel more secure about asking questions and perhaps get some preliminary feedback about the lesson. When students have completed the lesson, I will grade it and give them feedback on their work. During this time, I will interview them about the lesson and the game/simulation so that I can get feedback on my lesson.
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Results of one-to-one formative evaluation:Blood Typing:
Grades on the assignment: 70% (45/64), 72% (46/64), 77% (49/64), 83% (53/64), 86% (55/64), and 92% (59/64).

Natural Selection:
Grades on the assignments: 94% (64/67) and 100% (67/67)

Revisions for both assignments: After seeing the students’ answers and talking to them about the assignment, I revised several questions to make them a bit more clear. Also the directions needed revising in a few spots because the students were unclear about how to go on to the next step. All students liked the lessons and playing the games/simulations. They really liked that they could “see” what they were learning about in action. I was most interested in the fact that everyone passed the assignment the first time. It is our school policy that students must pass every assignment with at least a 70%. If students don’t pass something, they must re-do the assignment until they get a passing grade. Several of these students have needed to re-do assignments because they weren’t comprehending the material. So, I find it very interesting that those same students who were challenged by other assignments passed these assignments on the first try.

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Materials and assessments for small-group evaluation:N/A - I am unable to work with small groups at my school. It is a self-paced learning system, so no students are working on the same lessons at the same time.

However, if I were able to do a small learning group of students at my school, I would have gave them all the worksheets and done a small presentation on the SMART board with student volunteers. Then I would have taken them to the computer lab and had them do the lessons on their own too.

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Characteristics of small-group learners:N/A - I am unable to work with small groups at my school. It is a self-paced learning system, so no students are working on the same lessons at the same time.


However, if I were able to do a small learning group of students at my school, the students are described in the one-to-one formative evaluation.

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Instruments for small-group evaluation:
N/A - I am unable to work with small groups at my school. It is a self-paced learning system, so no students are working on the same lessons at the same time.


However, if I were able to do a small learning group of students at my school, the students are described in the one-to-one formative evaluation.

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Procedures for small-group evaluation:N/A - I am unable to work with small groups at my school. It is a self-paced learning system, so no students are working on the same lessons at the same time.


However, if I were able to do a small learning group of students at my school, the students are described in the one-to-one formative evaluation.


Summary of small-group evaluation:N/A - I am unable to work with small groups at my school. It is a self-paced learning system, so no students are working on the same lessons at the same time.

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Discussion of small group data:N/A - I am unable to work with small groups at my school. It is a self-paced learning system, so no students are working on the same lessons at the same time.

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Revisions for instruction and assessment:I’m not entirely sure that I’m demonstrating every Sunshine State Standard efficiently. So, I want to rehash the questions to make sure I incorporate everything necessary. Also, I’m not sure the pre-game/pre-simulation questions are corresponding to the post-game/post-simulation questions well enough. I think I may need to re-word a few of the questions to obtain clearer results about the effectiveness of the lessons. Also, the students really seemed to enjoy the playing of the game/simulation. I will put in some more prompts to get them to continue playing.

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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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