I attended the Simple is always hard: Design guidelines for effective online activities presentation by Eric Wignall at FSI 2010. About 22 participants attended.  Key take-aways include:
  • Simple is best.
  • Students can feel shot-down by a single, simple "no, that's incorrect" response.
  • Linear design models (Dick & Carey, ADDIE, even Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, etc.) are based upon theory but no evidence; does not reflect actual practice.
  • Classroom Instruction that Works - recommended as excellent, research-based summary of multiple models and pieces of research; summarized to 9 effective strategies.
  • Quality Matters.
  • Sternberg's Beyond IQ
  • Not enough of our education is visually-oriented, yet visuals are most important
  • Research:
    • Knowledge builds over time
      • Declarative (internalized)
      • Procedural (never mastered; can always get better)
      • Contextual (where it matters)
      • Synthetic (predictive/anticipatory knowledge)
    • Organizing environments
      • Linear
        • Time-based
        • Objectives
      • Contextual
        • Themes
        • Information
      • Coalescent
        • Interests
        • Learners
  • Three types of assessment
    • Assessment for evaluation
    • Assessment for learning
    • Assessment for you
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