Transition Indiana
A networking coalition providing Transition Initiatives based on local production, renewable energy, efficiency & resilient communities.
GROUP DETAILS
Created: Mar 11, 2009
Updated: Sep 28, 2009
Membership: Open
Semi-Private
Curriculum Module Production Discussion
The purposes of this discussion are to develop the following to areas as follows from the NSF grant:
- Curriculum module production: A team will organize curriculum already developed by the participants
and prioritize which elements should be developed into new on-line learning
modules.
- Action steps include:
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Step 1: Organize the modules and classify them based on key terms: create a table for resources based on key terms
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Step 2: Identify gaps in the curriculum and prioritize needs: develop a prioritized wanted list and wish list)
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Step 3: Build a tools section for web-based resources for teaching and learning: individuals will link specific internet resources such as tools for teaching or learning that are already available online, these will be organized by keywords
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Step 4: Build key assessment tools for curriculum: request in specific course: request in specific courses the use of assessments
- Step 5: Build a database for key assessment tools: upload assessment tools into a database to see trends over time and use to show progress
- Curriculum module evaluation: A team will evaluate the delivery of the on-line modules, the content,
and the creativity but not the effectiveness.
- Action steps include:
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Step 1:Initiate list of key words/levels for classifying modules
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Step 2: Initiate peer critique categories
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Step 3: Initiate dialogue on how to evaluate creativity
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Step 4: Develop online method for allowing module submitters to self-classify
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Step 5: Develop online method for peer to supply online evaluations of delivery and creativity
Discussion participants need to consider how to achieve the above tasks in a variety of creative and mutually collaborative ways that will integrate well with the work of the other groups within the Open Science Network.
One thing that we need to decide upon pretty quickly is a definition of what a "curriculum module" is. To me it is the smallest unit of curriculum that can be divided up. This is often a single lecture, or a story within a presentation, or a field trip location/event, or a class exercise PLUS the evaluation that goes with it.
There is quite a bit of curriculum content that can be chopped up into modules from the courses that we normally teach. We have started to do some of this at University of Hawaii and are making the bits available through a Google web site at: www.erajournal.org/ebotvideo/home/
Entire courses are available through the following site: sites.google.com/site/ethnobiologycenter/
How do we want to start organizing all of this material so that it can be evaluated/used by others? (Will)
Anyone is encouraged to participate! Core group members include: Arika Virapongse, Peter Giovannina, Simone Athayde, Gail Wagner, Doug Earick, Patricia Fulnter-Cross, Sonia Vovgeoukalou, Sunshine Brosi, Mercy Njeri Muiruri
Comments (1 - 7 of 7)
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Flag comment for removal arikavira 6 months ago
Someone at the SEB conference suggested to me that we use same/similar key terms that are used by libraries to organize their resources. Perhaps we could consult someone from Librarian Sciences (or look on the web) for a good way to approach this. By standardizing our language, we will have more opportunities to extend and apply the content of the modules beyond our field.
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I find the guidelines on copyright particularly interesting Do Not Infringe Copyright WiserEarth is a free, community-driven website based on open source software protocols which means that anyone can use or modify the content and resources included on the site. Submitting resources (beyond reference) or content which are not yours will infringe copyright and may incur legal problems. It will also limit our ability to share and redistribute content and features across the community.
Online educational resources are particularly vulnerable to copyright violations in the form of plagiarism and intellectual property theft. Existing resources are 'owned' by the institutions whose members have developed the available material. However in the context of network formation certain personal and institutional ownership rights may blur.
Some points I am not clear about are the following: - How can the effective redeployment of existing resources take place without breaching personal and institutional intellectual property rights? - Are there any guidelines concerning the development of new 'network materials' and their distribution? - In what form is peer-screening advised to take place? |
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Thanks Pat. Wiser Earth has a set of guidelines that anyone who registers to use this site should be aware of (page and list below). The success of any open site that is constructed by an open group hinges upon people policing each other by using RSS feeds on parts of sites that interest them in order to learn when changes have been made that could be problematic and fix them asap.
Two important, although not all encompassing aspects about the question of copyright infringement, are: 1) Is there profit possibly being made?, or 2) does the use fall under fair use in teaching? We seriously need to avoid any indication that the content is being used to turn a profit. We also need to be very careful that we do not push the fair use opportunities that we have further than intended.
WE user guidelines: http://www.wiserearth.org/article/e6d1e607f6e29b9f3bf253d61edd9c92 Here is the current guideline list:
These guidelines are the courtesy and interaction code for all WiserEarth users. If you have any questions or would like to add to these guidelines, please post your comments at the bottom of this page. WiserEarth shares information across geography, culture, and language. We encourage individuals and groups from different parts of the world to contribute their knowledge to the WiserEarth 'digital commons' (WISER Platform) and to work together so that we can become more intelligent and humane in our practices and more effective in our use of resources. Be Polite and Civil Remember that the WiserEarth community consists of people from all over the world with different native languages and varying degrees of technical knowledge. Please be polite and civil with other people and assume good faith at all times. Question We encourage active discussion around any subject that may be of interest to you. We also support comments, questions and discussions relating to the organizations, resources, events, and activities featured on WiserEarth. However, we ask that your comments relate directly to the page of content you are commenting on.
WiserEarth comprises a myriad of individuals and groups working on many different issues relating to ecological and social restoration. Should somebody else have motivations that conflict with your values or ideals, please do not attack them. While we have different motivations and agendas, overall we share similar principles about the necessity for fairness and equity for all partaking of the Earth's systems. Do Not Infringe Copyright WiserEarth is a free, community-driven website based on open source software protocols which means that anyone can use or modify the content and resources included on the site. Submitting resources (beyond reference) or content which are not yours will infringe copyright and may incur legal problems. It will also limit our ability to share and redistribute content and features across the community. Build Community and Visibility The success of WiserEarth is based on an active user community. Encourage your friends, colleagues, and associates to become involved, network with others, and help us build awareness and visibility of this amazing movement. You can do so by linking back to the site. Givefeedback whenever you can. Write From a Neutral Point of View Write from a neutral point of view. This means that there must be no incentivized or 'paid for' content on WiserEarth. This includes buzz marketing or other artificial marketing activities. Neutral does not mean 'without feeling'; you may feel very strongly about a particular cause, but your writings must not be incentivized in any way.
Community Guideline Infringement Repeated infringements of these community guidelines will result in the deactivation of your account.
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Regarding content of these modules, we proposed the following: The Open Science Network will include as a
prominent feature throughout the access site statements about the open nature
of the content that is included and restrictions on what may or may not be
included. Participants will be expected to screen each other to avoid using
copyright materials such as photographs unless they are the works of the
participants and are signed over to the Network for open-access distribution.
Participants will be clearly notified that they will never receive any
royalties for any of their contributions into the Network. Likewise, the
network will not copyright or sell any of the contributions even with
permission of the participants. In order to address these issues, the Network
will be working with a lawyer provided by the Botanical Research Institute of
Texas during the first year of the project, in order to establish clear policies
and procedures through which the participants can function in order to
contribute, evaluate, and modify their works without concern for infringement
on the intellectual property rights of others.
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Part of this concept of defining the 'size' of a learning module should likely involve the tech people associated with housing it. As we create learning modules or curriculum modules (I like the learning term better-curriculum by definition is larger to my thinking), they'll have to be stored. That storage necessitates metadata tagging and potentially standard compliance which will make the ultimate search for the info easier, available across a wide variety of browsers and compatible with the greatest number of commonly used software (in other words, available to the widest audience)- provided this is all to be stored electronically. Will it be stored within the context of a Learning Management System? So, I guess I'm saying that tech people should be involved in the conversations at the front end as well as the back end-otherwise we're creating products that may be troublesome to distribute. If you want to know more, look up SCORM (SHarable content object reference Model) compliance and ADL (Advanced distributed learning). SCORM is not the only standard in use, but was a governmental project with a bit of research behind it.
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I agree with Will that a curriculum module would be a single lecture or fieldtrip and an evaluation of the particular event. It would also be beneficial to include including a written assignment or activity and a grading rubric. I like to base lectures and labs around one particular question or learning goal. One helpful structure that comes to mind is the type of maps that are in the Atlas of Scientific Literacy (see http://www.project2061.org/publications/atlas/default.htm for samples). I have copies of the Atlas and have taken a web seminar through the AAAS website which was very beneficial in understanding their structure. The materials and maps are designed for K-12 learning goals, however, I have used a similar style in designing my lectures. In ethnobotany is important to understand what basic level of ability the students have in order to acquire knowledge. For example before a student can participate in a chemical plant extraction lab they must understand basic principles of chemistry and plant biology, i.e. plants produce primary and secondary metabolites, etc. This is especially important at the undergraduate level with students in 100- and 200-level courses where they may not have completed courses in anthropology, ecology, and botany. With a greater understanding of the relationship between learning concepts students are able to grasp ethnobotanical concepts without a gap in background knowledge. If the lectures or fieldtrips are designed around a specific question or learning goal then they could be arranged in a map indicating what skills are required in order to understand the next higher-level concept. Other suggestions on organization welcomed and the other really difficult task is in the evaluation of the materials. (Sunshine)
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