Syllabus Description

Collaborative Design and Research of Technology-Integrated Curricula - ED124x (CS377f)

Stanford University

This course provides a studio-based, hands-on, and participatory approach to the development and research of technology tools and curriculum materials for K-12 education.

Syllabus Content

Ed124x (CS377f)
Collaborative design and research of technology-integrated curriculum
As it was enacted....
(3-4 units)
Winter 2004
CERAS 204

Shelley Goldman-Associate Professor
Angela Booker-Teaching Assistant
Jennifer Knudsen-Instructor

Course Site: http://bb.stanford.edu

Course Description
This course provides a studio-based, hands-on, and participatory approach to the development and research of technology tools and curriculum materials for K-12 education. The course is relevant to the work of education students who are interested in engaging in and studying curriculum development. It is of special interest to students who wish to better understand the role that technologies can play in teaching and learning in the content areas.

The course will introduce participatory design models for the development and research of educational materials through a studio-based, materials development process. It builds on three major ideas emerging from recent research on technology and learning. The first idea is that the use of domain-specific tools can make the difference in learning conceptual material. For example, in mathematics, tools can transform normally obscure ideas and concepts with multiple, vivid and linked representations and ways to engage in inquiry. The second idea is that even the best software is unlikely to engage learning or be used widely and/or effectively unless it is compatible with and linked to classroom curriculum materials (such as teacher guides, student problems and activities, and assessments). The third idea emerging from recent research is that achieving an effective level of technology integration in the curriculum is virtually impossible without the direct involvement of the developers and teachers with the design, development and research process. This course will integrate each of these emerging ideas into a studio experience where students will pool their disparate, yet necessary and complementary knowledge and skill sets to work with a teacher and to design, program, develop curriculum activities, field test and revise a curriculum sequence. All students will hone their skills and develop new ones through the experience.

Each project team will engage in the following activities:

¿ work with a multi-skilled team including education students, computer science students or others.
¿ design and develop classroom software and activities in conjunction with a teacher (or STEP student teacher) who will act as a client and field test the materials
¿ design and develop an applet-level, web-based application and accompanying curriculum activities
¿ field test the curriculum materials under real classroom conditions, using research and field test methods and processes
¿ create and prioritize a revision list and possibly implement one or two items from the list
¿ read and review literature concerning theories and practices of curriculum and software design as well as technology use in mathematics and science classrooms
¿ review current educational technologies and curriculum materials to delineate best features and best development processes and best teaching practices.

All students learn how to plan for and carry out design, development and field testing of educational curriculum materials that meet teachers' curriculum goals and align with state and national standards. Education students might come from a background in teaching, learning, curriculum development, research, or technology design. They will also have the opportunity to meet virtually with content area education experts and developers. Completed projects will have the chance to be chosen as exemplars for similar courses in universities nationwide, or if they are in mathematics, for widespread publication through the Math Forum (the largest on-line community for math teachers).

In addition to readings, discussions and reviews of existing and developing materials and best practices with technology, each student will work on a mixed-skill team and with a classroom teacher to design a real technology-integrated curriculum module, field test it, and complete a revision and redesign process.

The course will arrange workshops/tutorials to help students brush up on skills or use new development tools. Other resources that will be arranged include:

¿ Weekly drop-in sessions for groups with faculty and TA- Time TBA

¿ Access to a technical guide as well as to an education-related content area guide for each group during the quarter.
Mark Chung, SRI, technical guide (mark.chung@sri.com)
Suzanne Alejandre, Math Forum, education guide (suzanne@mathforum.org)
Guides in other content areas TBA

Student Background: What we hope you'll bring: What you can hope to get out of the course:
Computer Science/ Symbolic Systems Basic programming skills (Java, Flash?)/knowledge of software development ¿ Understanding of relationship between content and design
¿ Gain understanding of collaborative development process with designers and teachers (non-technical stakeholders)
¿ Product-related field research process and techniques
¿ Gain understanding of special needs of education environment
¿ Possibility to submit materials for publication on the MathForum
¿ Advances technology, rapid development of component -based solutions
LDT/Industrial Engineering Knowledge of design practices (HCI)/Interest in product development process ¿ Hands-on experience managing the R&D process
¿ Collaborative design process with programmers & teachers
¿ Product-related field research process and techniques; project management
¿ Gain understanding of special needs of education environment
¿ Possibility to submit materials for publication on the MathForum
SUSE/LSTD/CTE Content and teaching knowledge/foundations of education/interest or knowledge of R&D process ¿ Curriculum development in conjunction with technology tools
¿ Collaborative design process with designers, programmers & teachers (learn how to communicate with technical developers)
¿ Product-related field research process and techniques
¿ Gain understanding of special needs of education environment
¿ Possibility to submit materials for publication on the MathForum
STEP Content and teaching knowledge ¿ Meet Technology Integration Planning Requirement
¿ Curriculum development in conjunction with technology tools
¿ Collaborative design process with programmers & designers
¿ Participate in field test process

Week 1: January 7
Course introduction, participatory design and get to know you, and demos

Topics

1. Introduction to the course and course resources
2. Examine/review technology materials in math/science education
3. Guest presenters demonstrate their projects
4. Get to know you scavenger hunt
Assignments
In progress
Resume Assignment: create a resume for this course, based on special prompts (your skills, what you want to learn, etc)

Due

Readings

Week 2: January 14
Addressing collaboration and the need to attend to it regardless of prior experience.
Discuss learning needs and how technology can support learning

Topics

1. How People Learn Activity: Reflection on learning with technology

2. 3rd Space in HCI Activity: Collaboration in the Course

3. Jennifer's Presentation: "What 'Mathlets' Can Do"

4. Discussion of this-coming week's assignment Assignments
In progress
Assess one of ESCOT applets using design rubric.

Due
Resume Assignment
Readings

How People Learn: Ch 1-Introduction and Ch 9-Technology to Support Learning

Muller, M.J. (in press). Participatory Design: The Third Space in HCI. In Jacko, J. & Sears, (Eds.) Handbook of HCI.

Week 3: January 21
Technology in schools, organizing for observations and forming teams with their teachers

Topics

1. ESCOT Review Presentations
2. Review of Readings
3. Forming groups
4. Preparing to talk with partners and teachers
Assignments

Due
¿ ESCOT Review Presentation due 1/21/04
¿ Come to class having read all the resumes posted on Blackboard
Readings

How People Learn: Ch 3-Learning and Transfer

Goldman, S.V. (2001). Technology in the Mathematics Classroom: Guidelines from the Field. ERIC Update, 22(2), pp. 1-6.

Roschelle, J. & DiGiano, C. ESCOT: Producing Educational Software from Reusable Components by Coordinating the Reciprocal Influence of R &D and Classroom Practice. Submitted to Interactive Learning Environments.

Week 4: January 28
Identifying pedagogical styles, technology and content alignment and preparing for observation.

Topics

1. Logistics---groups and partners, interview/meeting with partner
2. Observing...to do during class
3. Brainstorm categories of consideration--design tensions--in designing for learning
4. Sketch/outline an activity on primary and secondary colors OR photosynthesis
5. Consider your design in light of the categories/tensions
6. Observations---what did you find out?
7. Groups meet w advisors

Assignments
In progress

Classroom observations and write-ups

Due
Journal of group process
Reading reflection
Readings

Dewey, J (1938). Experience and Education. New York: Simon and Schuster.

How People Learn... Ch 6: Design of Learning Environments

Collins A. Design Issues for Learning Environments Classroom Practice. Submitted to Interactive Learning Environments.

Week 5: February 3
Development work. Alignment between tools and other curriculum materials

Topics

1. Report back from groups on what they have found out from interviews and observations
2. Each describe the activity/applet they want to make...in a couple sentences....not binding
3. Use Wiggin's 3-step backward mapping to get to actual activity based on goals and evidence
4. Discuss the rationale of that process, and their experience in using it.
5. Intro to a schema for specifying their project plan: GORP schema. Reactions and refinements
6. In groups, sparsely fill in the schema for their activity/applet
7. Introduce TRAILS guests upon arrival. Check out Alex Repenning's site at http://games4education.cs.colorado.edu
8. Discuss next steps: the plan assignment and how to do it

Assignments
In progress

¿ prototypes (i.e. paper/user tests with at least 2 people before week 6)
¿ meet with content expert by week 6 (Suzanne Alejandre for Math/for other subject areas, we'll find someone for you to meet with)

Due
¿ Complete classroom observation and write up.
¿ Post observation write-ups
Readings

Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J.(1998) Understanding by Design. Chapters 1 and 4

Gruen, D., (2000). Storyboarding for Design: An Overview of the Process. CUE Technical Report #00-03. IBM Watson Research Center.

Week 6: February 10
Preparing for and engaging the field test and revision process

Topics

1. Logistics
2. Groups prepare for presentation of plan
a. Presentation of plan, feedback from whole class and instructors:
b. Someone else summarizes what the plan is...check with group to see if this is right
3. Specifics re learning goals and learning supports, how these are tied together
4. Storyboarding: what is it? What can you hope to accomplish
5. "Paper" prototyping: what media? What do you want to find out?
6. Practicalities of the prototyping assignment.
7. Group work time.
Assignments
In progress

Due
Project Plan due. Use GORP Schema to guide you.

Readings

Gould, J.D. & Lewis, C. (1985). Designing for Usability: Key Principles and What Designers Think. Communications of the ACM, 28(3), pp. 300-311.

Gruen, D., (2000). Beyond Scenarios: The Role of Storytelling in CSCW Design. CUE Technical Report #00-02. IBM Watson Research Center.

Week 7: February 17
Analyzing field Test results, deciding revisions

Topics

1. Logistics and next steps
2. Report back on prototyping
3. Story writing activity
4. Group meeting time Assignments
In progress
Develop your project

Due
See Journal Prompts.
Email responses to Angela at booker@stanford.edu

Readings

Becker, H. and Greer, B. Participant Observations

Week 8: February 24
Report back on prototyping and revision decisions.

Topics

1. Presentations showing connections among activities, goals and assessments, in revisions based on prototype testing.
2. User test discussion
3. Preparing for observations.

Assignments
In progress
Continue development

Week 9: March 2 Part 1 of Presentation Fair

Topics

Group meetings with project mentor.

Assignments
In progress
Continue development

Week 10: March 9 Part 2 of Presentation Fair and Final Write-ups

Topics

Design presentations and feedback

Assignments
Due
¿ Presentation should include
o Software demo
o curriculum guide/materials ready for use
o analysis/critique of the group process
o analysis/critique of the user tests
¿ Final Journals submitted including a write up of analysis/reflection on collaborative process

Links (if applicable)

Why is this an important Syllabus?

The course will introduce participatory design models for the development and research of educational materials through a studio-based, materials development process.

Attachment(s) listed below (if any)

View the syllabus:ed124x_syllabus.doc.