Design+Rationale


 * Design Rationale: **

The design of the learning sequence was developed using a combination of learning theories and frameworks that support meaningful learning and purposeful pedagogy to ensure students are utilising higher order thinking skills and have the opportunity to work within a learning environment that is authentic and allows them to collaborate with a real world audience. Below is a table that outlines the learning theories and frameworks that have informed the design of the learning sequences.

inquiry to ensure students are not only using higher order thinking but developing their ability to do so. Students are provided with tools that they are able to apply and organise concepts, analyse and compare their understanding with their peers and to provide the necessary planning to fulfil the criteria of the assessment task. Evidence of Bloom's Digital Taxonomy have been integrated through: it is essential that students are working towards an authentic task that is scaffolded through the use of appropraite ICT tools. According to Bloom (as cited in Churches, 2009), increased collaboration is an additional element which can be achieved through the use of wikispaces and blogs but it is the way in which it is utilised that enhances higher order thinking skills. It is essential that students are analysing and comparing perspectives, making judgements based on their understandings and apply their thinking in a sequenced manner. It has to be emphasised that there is no right or wrong way of engaging in such tasks which can highly motivating for students. The webquest can be viewed as a tool that can facilitate all aspects of these types of thinking providing the scaffolding is effective (Yang et al, 2011). ||
 * //Approach// ||  //Design Characteristics//  ||  //Implications for// //Teaching & Learning//  ||
 * **Constructivist**
 * Framework** || Students use an inquiry-based webquest that incorporates the use of a blog and wikispace for students to collaborate and explore multiple perspectives based on their views and understandings of sustainability and environmental impact. The webquest has been organised through phases via the use of the TELSTAR inquiry model to direct the learning. It links to authentic and open-ended tasks that include real world applications and opportunities to use the skills students develop in the following manner:
 * An online ecological footprint survey whereby students analyse their own environmental impact and collaborate with peers in suggesting way to minimise such impact through the class blog.
 * Analysing multiple perspectives through a wikispace to determine whether students believe it is possible to minimise environmental impact.
 * Develop an action plan using ICT and interactive and accessible tools to communicate a vision for sustainability in the local area, in this case the students school. || According to Yang et al (2011), webquests that are scaffolded in a sequenced manner can enhance problem-solving skills, higher order thinking, motivation, creativity and self regulated learning. Inquiry-based learning through the design of a webquest is essentially a constructivist approach that provides students the direction to organise thinking through interactive brainstorming tools, increased social interaction as they analyse multiple perspectives and draw upon conclusions based on findings (Snowman et al, 2009; Yang et al, 2011). The learning manager is therefore a facilitator within the learning while students actively direct the process within a scaffolded environment using a choice of ICT to suit their learning needs (March, 2010; Yang et al, 2011). ||
 * **Bloom's Taxonomy** || The webquest was designed to include tasks that utilise various digital taxonomic levels of thinking to enhance the particular phase of the
 * Utilising the six thinking hats strategy in the wikispace to analyse perspectives
 * Using interactive concept mapping tools that allow drafts to be created, edited and saved such as a Venn diagram and bubbl us brainstorming tool
 * Interactive surveys such as ecotude to compare and evaluate results in a straightforward manner to obtain conclusive findings || The use of a webquest can be incorporative of higher order thinking dependent on the structuring of the learning experiences. Therefore
 * **Engagement Theory** || The engagement theory is based on incorporating authentic opportunities that can be applied in a technological environment and is based on three principles relate, create and donate.

//Relating// Students engage in an online environment through collaborating with peers and a greater audience through the use of a blog and wikispace. They reflect, compare and analyse understandings. They are provided the opportunity to assume their roles as an 'agent of change' through creating a Voki which promotes social participation. They are assigned an environmental team with encouragement to discuss ideas via the class blog. //Creating// Students engage in various authentic and problem-based activities through the inquiry model which is guided by focussed questions. Students utilise various tools to create their own understanding of the concepts explored and utilise maximum choice to make desicions. This has been achieved in the design of the learning sequences through providing a range of ICT tools that they can use to communicate their action plan to suit their needs while encouraging their creativity and engagement. //﻿// //Donating// Students compile an email to the principal to create an intended and authentic audience. The principal and parents are also provided a URL so they can also see the learning of the students over the unit and proposed ideas. || Kearsley & Shneiderman (1999) believe that the use of ICT can be utilised meaningfully and enhance engagement if it is structured in an authentic manner and provides the opportunities to work using the three principles relate, create and donate. Through following such principles, it is emphasised that the meaning of engagement is characterised by problem-based tasks that incorporate cognitive processes from problem-solving, decision making to reasoning and evaluating their own learning. Through the relate process learning is acquired through maximum interaction that can be made possible through a blog or wikispace. Students are able to create through making decisions in an problem-based learning environment and donate as they explore an authentic and real world purpose and customer for their actions. ||
 * **TPACK** || TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) is crucial to the development of learning experiences in a digital environment. The essential principles of TPACK has been incorporated into the design in the following manner:


 * The learning manager has in depth content knowledge of concepts explored through the inquiry phase
 * The learning manager designs the learning using ICTs and appropriate scaffolding to support student learning
 * Necessary modelling and instruction is provided to students throughout their engagement with unfamiliar tools || The use of technology in the learning context is essential and therefore utilising pedagogical and content knowledge through the use of appropriate ICT is important for the design of learning sequences. Furthermore the framework is centred on the student and their diverse needs as well as the learning manager having the capabilities to ensure that TPACK is applied accordingly to essential curriculum outcomes. This establishes the basis for meaningful learning in a situated context (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). ||

Image retrieved from The Encylopedia of Educational Technology