E-learning proposal

The E-learning application we aim to produce is a spelling game for children from 5 to 7. (please see appendix 1 and 2 for frameworks) There are 3 games (the last one is being pictorial, but it will be amended) in total and may incorporate different levels of the game to challenge the children. Montessori stated that the learning environment and equipment is also important part of the package. If computers are readily available inside classroom, library or at home, this will maximise the opportunity for the children to use it. There are 3 draft images of the application as follows:

Hang Man game
Word Spell
Matching Pairs

1. Definition and justification:

Using ICT to facilitate learning which e-learning has a wide range of applications available on the internet. In terms of usage, some are used in parallel with the lessons at the primary school, some are extensions as a top up of their learning. In order to encourage the children to access the games, the designs must implementation of learning objectives with attractive designs for the application. E-learning applications can be tailor made to any age group i.e. pre-school and right up to university or other professional development.

2. Pedagogic/psychological approach:

Acknowledging the different styles of learning will enable the designer to encompass user of different abilities – inclusion. With reference to the game, using extrinsic prompts of rewards to keep the children interested. There will be a careful selection of words used, low register ones such as ‘stars, moon’ then higher register words ‘universe’.

On screen motivators:
- If the user guess the correct word, the rocket will speed up and land on the moon.
- Banner saying: ‘welcomes the earthlings’
- If incorrect “ try again”, to encourage the children to have anther attempt at the game.

A suggestion of negative actions if the user fail to guess the word:
- The rocket will start to slow down
- Eventually come back to earth, mission aborted, fail to land on the moon.
- Depending on the user, if they are confident, they will begin to make initial attempts to guess the whole word.
- There will be option for the children to select the letters and complete the word in one function.

In order to understand how learners learn we have included a list of learning styles and theories. Which enabled the designers to create the application to match the learner’s varied abilities.

Behaviorism: rewards for good work, stimulus through operant conditioning.
Cognitive: build on prior knowledge, process through scaffolding in context
of the subject
Constructivism: interactive through social activity

VAK: Visual, Audio and Kinaesthetic

There are 4 types of Kolb’s Learning styles: (Please see appendix 3)

- active-abstract (converger)
- active-concrete (accommodator)
- reflective-abstract (assimilator)
- reflective-concrete (diverger)

According to Gardner’s theory of multiple learning, individuals are inclined to learn with different approaches

• Linguistic
• Logical-mathematical
• Spatial
• Bodily-kinesthetic
• Musical
• Naturalistic
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal

3. Outline of learning objective:

Main objective is to teach students spelling and word construction. If the application attracts the children to use it regularly, as a consequence it will improve their spelling. Through the process of building confidence in learning, this will transform the user from an extrinsic to an intrinsic individual. Overall there will be a positive effect on the students learning.

4. Style and structure:

The design is kept simple, so children with basic skill of IT will be able to access it. A simplistic approach for young children i.e. age 5 with large colourful images and words i.e. moon, star. As the age increase the content requires to be more challenging to sustain the children’s concentration.

5. Delivery: Flash, 3 games: matching pairs, word spell, hangman

Website references:

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy.html#senhttp://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy.html#sen
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/starship/english/spacespins.shtml
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primaryframeworks/
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primaryframeworks/literacy/learningobjectives/years/Year3/
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning_pedagogy.aspx
http://www.westga.edu/~distance/liu23.html
http://www.qca.org.uk/4515_1282.html

Appendices

Appendix 1: literacy framework from Department of Education & Skills (Dfes) which sets out the learning objectives for year 3

Year 3 - Word structure and spelling

Blue text signifies end-of-year (EOY) objectives within Mathematics and Early Learning Goals (ELG) within Foundation Stage. In Years 1 to 6, Literacy does not have end-of-year (EOY) objectives.
Note
Some of the spelling objectives appear in both strands 5 and 6. This reflects that phonics should be the prime approach children use in both learning to read and learning to spell. The objectives in strand 6 also cover the wider approaches children need to learn and deploy to spell words accurately.
• Spell high and medium frequency words
• Recognise a range of prefixes and suffixes, understanding how they modify meaning and spelling, and how they assist in decoding long complex words
• Spell unfamiliar words using known conventions including grapheme-phoneme correspondences and morphological rules

Appendix 2: science framework from Qualification Curriculum Authority (QCA) which sets out the learning objectives for year 3

Extracted from: http://www.qca.org.uk/4515_1282.html (However, I have noticed the date of this curriculum is 2000, there must be a more up to date curriculum!)

Writing links between QCA schemes of work and NLS writing objectives
Year 3
Curriculum 2000: Science
The QCA schemes of work for Science at Y3 are 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E and 3F.
The mapping shown below is based on writing activities suggested in the units that directly relate to NLS non-fiction objectives. The units also offer other opportunities for purposeful writing.
Y3 TERM 1
QCA schemes of work: science NLS writing objectives
Unit 3A. Teeth and eating
Children should learn:
that an adequate and varied diet is needed to keep healthy.
Writing activity identified in the unit:
Ask the children to describe, using drawings and writing, how they aim to have a balanced and varied diet. Non-fiction text focus: report
T21 to make a simple record of information from texts read
T22 to write simple non-chronological reports from known information, eg …from texts read, using notes to organise and present ideas. Write for a known audience, eg other pupils in class, teacher, parent
S11 to write in complete sentences
S12 to demarcate the end of a sentence with a full-stop and the start of a new one with a capital letter

Y3 TERM 2
QCA schemes of work: science NLS writing objectives
Unit 3B. Helping plants grow well
Review what children have learnt from the unit.
Writing activity identified in the unit:
Ask children to produce a leaflet giving advice on how to look after plants kept in the classroom or at home. Non-fiction text focus: instructions
T16 to write instructions… using a range of organisational devices… recognising the importance of correct sequence; use 'writing frames' as appropriate for support
T17 to make clear notes through, eg:
discussing the purpose of note-making
identifying the purpose for which particular notes will be used
exploring ways of writing ideas, messages, in shortened forms
making use of simple formats to capture key points
identifying intended audience ie self or others

Y3 TERM 3
QCA schemes of work: science NLS writing objectives
Unit 3F. Light and shadows
To decide whether the results support their predictions and to use knowledge about shadow formation to explain the conclusions.
Writing activity identified in the unit:
Help children to write an account of what they did and what they found out. NLS non-fiction text focus: recount
T22 experiment with recounting the same event in a variety of ways, eg in the form of a story, a letter, a news report
T25 to revise and extend work on
note-making from previous term
S6 to investigate through reading and writing how words and phrases can signal time sequences
S5 how sentences can be joined in more complex ways through using a widening range of conjunctions
S7 to become aware of the use of commas in marking grammatical boundaries

Appendix 3

Kolb’s learning theory
(info below extracted from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/liu23.html)

- active-abstract (converger): persons with this style are superior in technical tasks and problems and inferior in social and interpersonal matters. They tend to choose to specialize in physical sciences.

- active-concrete (accommodator): persons with this style tend to organize concrete situations from different perspectives and to structure their relationships into a meaningful whole; they focus on adaptation by observation instead of by action; they are superior in generating alternative hypothesis and ideas, and tend to be imaginative, people- or
- reflective-abstract (assimilator): persons with this style tend to focus more on the logical feeling-oriented; they tend to choose to specialize in liberal arts and humanities. soundness and preciseness of the ideas, rather than their practical values; they tend to choose to work in research and planning units.

- reflective-concrete (diverger): Therefore, persons with this style focus on risk taking, opportunity seeking, and action; they tend to be superior in adapting themselves to changing immediate situations in which the plan or theory does not fit the facts; they also tend to intuitively solve problems in a trial-and-error manner, depending mainly on other people for information rather than on their own thinking.