Posted by The project
This textbook was written for students studying the Victorian VCE subject, Information Technology, which would be studied in Year 11, by students aged 15 to 17.
The subject was new, many schools would be under-resourced, and many teachers would lack experience. The book had to cater for them all.
We had less than a year to write the book, so Damian, Dianna and I each took on one third.
Testing effectiveness & Experiential Learning
Testing effectiveness
I taught the subject to two classes, and I planned to write a section, test it on one class, then modify it if necessary and test it on the other class. I also shared the drafts with my colleagues.
Scenario
Each concept was introduced in a realistic scenario with a “hero” facing a problem, with real consequences. The hero would then solve the problem and the process and solution would be described in sufficient detail that the students could reproduce the solution.
Motivation and individualised learning
Motivation
Students would be more motivated if they could identify with our heroes so we chose them from a range of ethnic backgrounds, and dressed them for success. We also ensured a balance of males and females.
Individualised learning
Because the book was so readable, most students could work through it without the teacher’s assistance. The book contained hundreds of learner activities – far more than most students could manage. The teachers and students would choose appropriate activities, depending on the student’s goals, prior knowledge and learning preferences. The answers in the book supported independent learning.
Promoting Transfer
Promoting transfer
Key concepts were used in multiple different scenarios, using both text and graphics. They were also summarised in “key concept” pages, and students were challenged to use them in a range of activities at all levels of Bloom’s taxonomy.
