This week, for Module 1, we were to design an assignment or task within a learning environment, either a school or a workplace, in a discipline or subject area with which we feel comfortable. The assignment must require the use of media (educational technology). The assignment should be approximately one page, and the audience must be the intended students/participants. In other words, we were not to write a paper describing the assignment. We needed to provide the context for the assignment. In other words, who are the intended students, and what is the assignment’s goal?
In addition to developing the assignment, we needed to write a two-page paper in which we did the following:
- Describe the SAMR model and the underlying and evolving definition of media and technology.
- Apply the model to the assignment or task that was developed and indicate which level of technology application the assignment fits in, explaining clearly how it fits. In addition, discuss the learning theory that the model is developed on.
- Discuss possible modifications to the assignment or task to demonstrate how it might fit into one of the other levels, explaining the modification clearly.
- Conclude with a discussion about the efficacy of the SAMR model for evaluating the implementation of educational technology.
We had to reference at least one, if not more, of the readings/videos assigned this week.
The completed assignment was to be 3 pages (double-spaced), excluding title page and references. There is no abstract required for this assignment
Frank C. Jamison
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
EP 600: The Psychology of Learning
Dr. Jessica Evans
January 15, 2023
Active Learning: Implementing a Basic HTML Form
Audience
Students enrolled in an introductory HTML Web Development course.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to create a basic HTML form using standard HTML <form>, <label>, <input>, <textarea>, and <button> elements.
- Students will be able to use a standard HTML testing tool to render their code in a web browsing environment.
Assignment
Using the W3Schools Tryit Editor, create an HTML form containing three text fields and one button using the following HTML elements: <form>, <label>, <input>, <textarea>, and <button>. We are asking the user for their name, their email address, and the message they want to send. For this assignment, hitting the button will not need to send their data to a web server. If you’d like, try using CSS to format your form and make it look more presentable.
Once designing the form to your satisfaction, save the code as an HTML document file, then submit your assignment to the instructor as a zipped archive.
- Describe the SAMR Model and the underlying and evolving definition of media and technology.
- Best (2022) describes the SAMR model as a method for breaking classroom technology implementation strategies into four phases: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. The first two stages classify Substitution and Augmentation as enhancements to traditional learning. Substitution is when the technology is a direct replacement without functional improvements. Augmentation is where technology acts as a direct replacement, with some functional improvement. The final two stages classify Modification and Redefinition as transformations to traditional learning. Modification is where technology allows for significant task redesign, and Redefinition is where technology allows for the creation of new tasks, previously inconceivable.
- According to Bates (2019), the fundamental difference between media and technology is that technology alone does not lead to the transfer of meaning. It’s just a tool. While media “require an active act of creating content and/or communication, and someone who receives and understands the communication, as well as the technologies that carry the medium” (p. 345).
- Apply the model to the assignment or task that was developed and indicate which level of technology application the assignment fits in, explaining clearly how it fits. In addition, discuss the learning theory that the model is developed on.
- Handing this assignment in as a written document is the traditional way of delivery. Changing the submission of the code to an electronic text file is simply augmentation. Changing the implementation of this assignment to have the student use a web component to test and modify their code in a web browser makes this a significant technological modification.
- Constructivist learning Theory, which Harasim (2017) defines as people learning by “constructing their understanding and knowledge of the world through experience and reflecting on that experience,” is the basis for this model. By asking students to develop and test their code using the HTML Test application, they learn and build up knowledge about how to properly create HTML forms through trial and error.
- Discuss possible modifications to the assignment or task to demonstrate how it might fit into one of the other levels, explaining the modification clearly.
- One way to move this assignment into the Redefinition phase is to have students upload their code to W3Schools Spaces on the same site where they designed and tested the code. Once saved, W3Schools Spaces allows the user to share their work, either as code or rendered as an actual web page, using a link. Sharing the links in a communal class forum and soliciting feedback on design and code structure would further redefine this assignment.
- Conclude with a discussion about the efficacy of the SAMR model for evaluating the implementation of educational technology.
- The SAMR model does an excellent job of allowing people to evaluate the implementation of educational technology. It categorizes technology implementations into four categories and identifies their technical implications in the classroom. It will then enable teachers or schools to evaluate the use and efficiency of new technologies, and whether the benefits outweigh the costs of implementation. The examples for each stage produced by Bates (2019) and Best (2022) make it very clear and straightforward to determine precisely where the technology falls within the SAMR model.
References
Bates, A. W. T. (2019, October 10). Teaching in a Digital Age Second Edition. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/
Best, J. (2022, September 21). The SAMR model explained (with 15 practical examples). 3P Learning. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://www.3plearning.com/blog/connectingsamrmodel/
Harasim, L. (2017). Learning theory and online technologies, Second edition. Routledge.
Assignment Grade: 39/40
