TechMinds Week4 - Merriam Oliver

1. From the previous course, CSTE5336, you had created various multimedia projects which can be incorporated for teaching and training purpose. Review the 9 types of learning in the Synthesis page. How do you apply the material you created last semester to fulfill the levels of learning? (Hint: You can choose any project you had completed to provide the details of how it incorporates with the Concept (What), Procedure (How), and Principles (Why) in the subject area.) Use references to support your statement.

One program that we used last semester in CSTE 5336 that would fulfill the levels of learning would be Scratch, found at scratch.mit.edu.  Through this program, animations can be created using repetitive controls, variables, and action handlers (Strobel, 2007).  Users can create simple or sophisticated programs by dragging instructions and changing parameters to link together like a puzzle.  

Beginning in the left column, the user can consider this the “pallet” containing various instructions to build the program.  These instruction pieces are color coded in reference to task representation; ie, control structures are yellow and motion pieces are blue (Diehl, 2010).  In the center column, programming actually takes place.  By simply clicking and dragging, the user can connect instructions together to control the sprite.  Since the pieces are designed as puzzle pieces, the instructions will always make semantic sense (Diehl, 2010).  The far right column of the interface is divided into two parts for the user. The top part is the “stage” where all of the action takes place (Diehl, 2010). The bottom part contains one or more sprites that are used in the program.  This is for the user to see their animations or stories play out.

For convenience, this set up is for users to create a mathematical game, rewarding correct answers and providing a hint or explanation to aide the gamer if incorrect.

• Concepts (What?)

At the beginning of this math gaming assignment, users have to consciously access previous knowledge learned in order to set up their gaming questions.  Students must understand the question they are preparing and interpret all possible answers the gamer may come up with.  The user is remembering and understanding previous knowledge to prepare for the gamers answers.

• Procedures (How?)

By understanding and applying such mathematical concepts for this math gaming assignment, the user must compile the sequencing, looping, if/and and timing controls in a recognizable program for the gamer.  This process includes full engagement and critical thinking of the user to problem solve the puzzle pieces together to flow adequately.

• Principles (Why?)

Once the user is comfortable with how their game flows, it can be played by the gamer.  In this situation the user becomes the teacher by walking the gamer through directions and understanding of how the game is played.  Scratch allow users to upload simple projects to sophisticated games permitting the range and depth of the programming experience infinite.

References:
Diehl, M. (2010, June 29). Programming with scratch. Retrieved from http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/programming-scratch

Strobel, I. (2007, April 5). Learn programming the fun way. Retrieved from http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/mac/Scratch-Review-51341.shtml


2. Share your reflection after complete the Self-Test. (No references are required.)

In taking the Self-Test, I honestly began to look for a pattern in the verbs describing what the learner was doing.  The test used verbs such as explain, identify, execute, predict, name, recognize, describe, and recite.  All these words have their hierarchical place in Bloom’s Taxonomy; alll the describing sentences were understanding answers.  Yet when explain was used, the answer was understanding for one example and memorization for another.  So personally, I did get a bit confused since the verbs where not used, I feel, appropriately.

However, while taking the Self-Test, I did exceptionally well when it came to answer the physical, understanding, memorization, and procedure examples.  The concept, procedure, and affective examples took my a few times to get.