C & I 431 Syllabus

342 Armory Bldg. 340 Armory Bldg. 273 Altgeld H

3.7342 3.2605 3.2489

This is a course in the theory and practice of curriculum development in a technology-intensive setting. A major thesis explored during the semester is:

Main parts to the course:

1. An overview of the related literature: both research and practice (for example, in the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education and the Mathematics Teacher, respectively).

 

2. Portfolio of work . An exploration of educational resources on the World Wide Web and in standard copy, and the production of your individual electronic portfolio for your own professional use. Your portfolio should include:

• A listing of approximately one dozen URLs, with descriptions, of sites that serve as resources for your area of specialization (within mathematics, science, etc.)
• A listing of about six complete bibliographic references to research in your area of specialization
• A listing of about six complete bibliographic references to teaching and/or curriculum development in your area of specialization

Guidelines for module development

Current List of Curriculum Modules for the Technology Center of DuPage (TCD) Project

Bolt Circle Diameter - Geometric properties of a circle used in the

automotive shop.

P.O.S. (Point of Sale-Cash Register) - Data analysis and inventory

control for making decisions in cafeteria administration

Surveys - Food Preferences - Data analysis of food preferences in a

school cafeteria

Cooperative Manufacturing - Coordinate geometry, as applied in the

machine shop

Taste Test - Statistical test used in to determine food preferences

Aerodynamic Forces of Flight - Bernoulli's principle as applied to

aviation

Emission Control and Air Pollution (MCAP) - Exploring emissions

testing in Illinois and the effects of vehicle emissions on air pollution

Boolean Algebra- An introduction to basic aspects of logic circuits

Automotive Repair and Progress Evaluation - Data analysis and

evaluation of automotive repair.

Basic trigonometry - Investigate basic trig ratios and the unit circle

using Geometer's Sketchpad

Measurement (precision and accuracy) - Investigate precision,

accuracy, and measurement in an automotive shop

Computer Aided Design - 3-D visualization with "Paper Cup

Design"

Readings:

Bruce, B. C., & Levin, J. A.

Educational technology: Media for inquiry,

communication, construction, and expression.

Kaput, J. (1992) 'Technology and mathematics education'. In Grouws, D. Ed. Handbook of Research on Mathematics Teaching and Learning. New York: Macmillan, pages 515-556.

Kuhn, T. (1962) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Mestre, Jose. (1994). 'Cognitive aspects of learning in science'. In S. Fitzsimmons et al. Teacher Enhancement for Elementary and Secondary Science and Mathematics: Status, Issues and Problems. Arlington, Va.: National Science Foundation. Pages 3-1 to 3-44.

Morgan, C. (1994) 'The computer as a catalyst in the mathematics classroom ? " in S. Lerman, ed. Cultural perspectives on the mathematics classroom. Dordrecht: Kluwer. Pp. 115-132.

Noss, R. (1994) 'Sets, lies and stereotypes'. in S. Lerman, ed. Cultural perspectives on the mathematics classroom. Dordrecht: Kluwer. Pp. 37-49.

Nunes, Terezinha. (1992) 'Ethnomathematics and everyday cognition.' In Grouws, D. Ed. Handbook of Research on Mathematics Teaching and Learning. New York: Macmillan, pages 557-574.

Papert, S. (1980) Mindstorms: Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas. New York: Basic Books.

Pea, R. (1987) Cognitive technologies for mathematics education. in A. Schoenfeld, ed. Cognitive Science and Mathematics Education. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. pp. 89-122.

Peterson, Penelope. (1994). 'Learning and teaching mathematical sciences: Implications for in-service programs'. In S. Fitzsimmons et al. Teacher Enhancement for Elementary and Secondary Science and Mathematics: Status, Issues and Problems. Arlington, Va.: National Science Foundation. Pages 6-1 to 6-25.

Schoenfeld, A. H. (1987) Cognitive science and mathematics education: An overview. in A. Schoenfeld, ed. Cognitive Science and Mathematics Education. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Volmink, J. 'Mathematics by all.' in S. Lerman, ed. Cultural perspectives on the mathematics classroom. Dordrecht: Kluwer. Pp. 51-68.

Whitehead, Alfred N. Aims of Education.

Each of the six components above will be weighted about equally.

For now, plan on there being a mid term and a final.

Other developments to arise as the course proceeds.

Select for review and reporting to class ONE of:

Kaput; Klotz; Linn; Means; Pea; Pearlman; Rubin; Songer; Tanimoto; Tinker; Verona; Wilenski

Assignment of awardee will be made today.

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Bruce, B. C., & Levin, J. A.

Educational technology: Media for inquiry,

communication, construction, and expression.

This paper presents a taxonomy of educational technology applications organized

in terms of the ways they support integrated, inquiry-based learning. The

taxonomy is far from a finished document and should be read more as some rough

notes.[2] What we have tried to do is to lay out a framework for thinking about

the broad array of applications of educational technology. The framework

suggests ways that computers and other new information technologies can be used

to support the full range of learning. Like all such taxonomies, the boundaries

between the categories are fuzzy and some applications fit in more than one slot.

Most people who write about applications of educational technology feel

compelled at some point to lay out a system of types. An obvious reason for this is

that there are so many different kinds of software and hardware, and so many

different uses to which these have been applied, that it is simply overwhelming

without some way of talking about kinds or groups. Perhaps a less obvious reason

is that any categorization of forms of technology expresses a view of the world

that has significant ontological and pedagogical implications.

From World Models to Taxonomies

The relationship between a view of the world, or model, and a taxonomy, can be

seen in a book by authors who view the educational use of computers as a set of

instructional methodologies:

According to the model we have just described, the process of instruction includes

the instructor presenting the information to students, guiding the students' first

interaction with the material, the student practicing the material to enhance

fluency and retention, and finally, assessment of students to determine if they have

learned the material and what they should do next. [Alessi & Trollip, 1991, p. 9]

Building upon this model, Alessi and Trollip organize various forms of

"computer-based instruction" into five categories: tutorials, drills, simulations,

games, and tests. They place tutorials first in their taxonomy, and have no explicit

place for general software tools, such as spreadsheets, mail readers, or drawing

programs. The categories they do have correspond neatly to their general

instructional model, and can be used as a lens with which to see how various

applications support instructors in carrying out aspects of the model.

A striking alternative to this approach is that of Olds, Schwartz, and Willie

(1974). In a study they report, teachers examined a wide range of educational

software, including drill-and-practice software focused on specific skills and

software designed to encourage and support students in asking their own

questions. The teachers found that different approaches to software design implied

radically different models of learning and teaching. In the process of examining

software critically they became more aware of their own values. As the report

says, "teachers saw the enormous pedagogical difference between solving

problems and formulating them, between answering someone else's question and

generating your own" (p. 40). Thus, the distinction between computer control and

student control assumed primary importance.

Taylor (1980) has a related, but still distinct, position. He suggests that there are

three main categories. In the tutor role, the computer functions as a substitute or

supplemental teacher. As a tool, the computer can be used to carry out tasks

assigned by the student. This tutor/tool distinction is similar to that of Olds, et al.

Taylor then adds a third role, the tutee, in which the student learns by teaching the

computer. This is the situation with Logo, when students think of the computer as

their pupil, who/which needs to be taught every step in a procedure.

More recently, Means (1994) described four different categories of educational

technologies based on their use: "used as a tutor", "used to explore", "used as a

tool", and "used to communicate".

Bruce, B. C. (1995, November). Twenty-first century

literacy (Technical Report No. 624). Urbana, IL:

University of Illinois, Center for the Study of

Reading.

This paper surveys five broad areas in which important and

dramatic changes are occurring today. The first concerns

democracy, and in particular, the issue of universal literacy; the

second relates to work, with a focus on changing demands for

literacy in the workplace; the third takes us to social relations, and

especially, the emerging global society; the fourth concerns the

evolution of language; and the fifth relates to technology, with an

emphasis on the way our literacy practices are immersed in new

technologies. Although the areas of democracy, work, social

relations, language, and technology cover much ground, I hope to

show that trends in these areas exhibit some convergence. Given the

many facets of literacy that pervade our lives, these speculations will

necessarily be abbreviated, and like all such imaginings, their

naiveté will become most apparent as reality actually unfolds.

Grading policy:

being, each of the five components above will be equally weighted (20 points each)

Guidelines for module development

http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/davea/curriculum

A sample module (Michalinos Zembylas)

http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/davea/aviation/frame.html

Prepare a document that tells about yourself. Then drag and drop this document into the folder that has been prepared for you.

The message about yourself should include:

2) Find an article about using technology to teach mathematics. For meeting II, give the bibliographic reference, using the format followed by NCTM publications (such as the Mathematics Teacher).

(See more information on this assignment below)

Overview of White House Report on technology

Report to the President on the use of technology to strengthen K-12 education in the United States (March 1997)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/OSTP/NSTC/PCAST/k-12ed.html

Discussion: One big idea from: Report to the President on the Use of Technology to Strengthen K-12 Education in the United States. Washington, DC: The White House, 1997.

Research: Disdentification

A role for technology to promote identification….

The role of technology in reform:

A question: To what extent can appropriate uses of technology make a

qualitative difference in what we teach and how we teach it ?

The Edison Project (Chris Little, Channel One, Benno Schmidt, etc.)

How effective is technology ?

Software Publishers Association, "The effectiveness of technology in schools:

'90-'97". Their address: 1730 M Street, NW, Washington DC 20036, phone 202

452 1600, URL: www.spa.org

See also:

Impact of technology on education

> "One of the burning questions regarding the use of technology in

> education is "Does technology (computers, multimedia, the

> Internet, etc.) improve the education of K-12 students?" This

> page pulls together resources that will help educators answer

> this question."

http://www.mcrel.org/connect/tech/impact.html

White House Science Office Report

Summarizes many of the key issues concerning the role of technology in

schools (just as applicable to college, too) and provides a set

of principles to frame future developments in technology and the schools.

'The substantial investment in hardware, infrastructure, software and

content that is recommended in this report will be largely wasted if K-12

teachers are not provided with the preparation and support they will need

to effectively integrate information technologies into their

teaching.....both presidential leadership and federal funding should be

mobilized to help our nation's schools of education to incorporate

technology within their curricula so they are capable of preparing the next

generation of American teachers to make effective use of technology ' (page 8).

'Particular attention should be given to the potential role of technology

in achieving the goals of current educational reform efforts through the use

of new pedagogic methods focusing on the development of higher-order

reasoning and problem-solving skills' (p. 7)

The Melvin George Report. Shaping the Future.

http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf96139

TIMSS findings....

Students lose ground between fourth and eighth grade..

The curriculum: a mile wide and an inch deep

TIMSS Video: Teachers claim a knowledge and implementation of the NCTM

Standards, but not much evidence to support this knowledge comes from the

tapes

The Silver Report:

standards-e.nctm.org/1.0/89ces/Table_of_Contents.html

www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/

During the past two years, there have been three reports on undergraduate mathematics education that relate directly to issues surrounding the development of quality indicators for undergraduate mathematics:

1. The Boyer Report: Reinventing undergraduate education (The Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Princeton, NJ. 1998)

The centerpiece for this report is a list of ten ways to change undergraduate education. Those most relevant to our indicators work include:

• Use information technology creatively

• Construct an inquiry-based freshman year

• Cultivate a sense of community

1. Education and Human Resources Advisory Committee Report, Shaping the Future: New Expectations for Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology. (George, M. et al. Arlington, VA: NSF,1996.)

• (Goals for learning) Accept responsibility for the learning of all students and make that clear not only by what the institution says but also by putting in place mechanisms to discharge the responsibility at the institutional and department levels.

• (Instructional resources) Provide resources to ensure that faculty, particularly new faculty, have the opportunity to both learn how to and have the time to design effective instruction, use technology appropriately, foster inquiry-based and collaborative learning and assess learning achieved.

• (Faculty rewards) Make sure that the faculty reward system, in practice as well as in theory, supports faculty who effectively help students learn in hospitable environments that recognize individual student differences and that provide reasonable opportunities to address those differences. (Pages 63 ff.)

(Departmental level)

• (Goals for learning) In collaboration with other departments and with prospective employers, set departmental goals for undergraduate learning. These goals must include clear expectations, the attainment of which is measurable, about what all students in the institution should learn.

• (Nature of the curriculum) Provide a curriculum that engages and motivates the broadest spectrum of students, enabling every student to learn and providing reasonable flexibility for student to move onto or off of various career-preparation paths without undue penalty.

• (Community of learners) Create and support learning communities for students and faculty, including clubs, social events and peer learning and group study opportunities.

• (Technology) Use instructional technology effectively.

• (Emphasis on enhancing the practice of teaching) Make use of resources available in colleges and departments of education to strengthen the pedagogical foundations of SME&T undergraduate education.

• (Emphasis on promoting research on teaching and learning) Encourage and participate in research on learning.

(Faculty level)

• (Commitment to teaching all students) Believe and affirm that every student can learn; recognize that different students may learn in different ways and with differing levels of ability; and create an environment in each class that both challenges and supports.

• (Research on teaching and learning) Be familiar with and use the results of professional scholarship on learning and teaching.

• (Inquiry-based teaching and learning) Build into every course inquiry, the processes of science (or mathematics, or engineering) a knowledge of what SME&T practitioners do, and the excitement of cutting-edge research.

• (Enhancing classroom instruction) Devise and use pedagogy that develops skills for communication, teamwork, critical thinking and lifelong learning in each student.

• (Assessment) Make methods of assessing student performance consistent with the goals and content of the course.

• (Curriculum integration) Build bridges to other departments, seeking ways to reinforce and integrate learning, rather than maintaining artificial barriers.

• (Teacher education) Develop partnerships and collaborations with colleagues in education, in the K-12 sector, and in the business world, to improve the preparation of teachers and principals.

• (Student advisement) Take seriously academic advising that helps students have as much flexibility as possible and is linked to career development services of the institution.

An evaluation of the Course and Curriculum Development (CCD) Program was carried out between 1993-96, with a report issued in 1998. The goals of the CCD Program are enunciated in the report as:

• To improve the content, conduct, and quality of undergraduate teaching
• To increase student understanding of, and improve student attitudes toward, mathematics, science, and engineering, and
• To contribute to a shift in academic culture so that colleges and universities place greater value on undergraduate teaching, and on scholarship related to undergraduate education. (page iv, The Report)

Assignments for next week:

1. By Friday, August 28, send to me by e-mail (I will put it on the listserv for this course) a document that tells about yourself.

The message about yourself should include:

2) Refer to:

National Science Foundation (NSF) listing of awardees in (now defunct) Applications of Advanced Technologies Program

Select for review and reporting to class ONE of:

Kaput; Klotz; Linn; Means; Pea; Pearlman; Rubin; Songer; Tanimoto; Tinker; Verona; Wilenski

Assignment of awardee will be made today.