Dan's+LEDP

//*August 2011 update// //I went ahead and started revamping the eLearning course I've been creating for mentor teachers. Here's a link to a test site if anyone would like to take a look.// //Mentor Teacher eLearning course//

//I'm using the ideas I got from this class in real life!//

*Note:
//I'm actually not a classroom teacher. One of the things I'm mostly involved in is eLearning courses, so to make this relevant to my work I'm going to alter my project in that direction knowing it'll be a little different. I think the general principles should still apply. I've noticed that the majority of eLearning courses are what I refer to as "page turners." All the user does is basically read some text, look at some pictures and click a "next" button again and again. Maybe there'll be a few questions thrown into the mix. I generally try to break from the mold and create courses that are anything but page turners. One of the eLearning courses I'm working on now is for potential mentor teachers.//

=OBJECTIVES:= Upon completion of this course module, learners will be able to:
 * Effectively mentor student teachers according to University standards
 * Access and utilize tools to receive benefits for mentoring student teachers
 * Utilize resources to help with mentor teaching
 * Connect and collaborate with other mentor teachers to enhance best practices.

=RESOURCES:= eLearning authoring software / tool(s) Stock images of schools, people, objects Voiceover talent for characters & recording equipment Sample teaching videos (Yes, eLearning developers should have access to all these things)

=PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING:= Two of the Principles of Learning I'm going for in this course are:


 * Multiple Routes Principle** - The course isn't linear. The user is able to move at his/her own pace and has the freedom to access any part of the course at any time.The user is also able to choose from different responses when interacting with a character in the course, even if the choices are arbitrary. The user's observations of student teachers are his / her own, and there is no negative feedback from the course.


 * Active, Critical Learning Principle** - The user isn't able to passively click through the course. I think this works in concert with having choices. The user is also asked to provide open ended feedback about the student teacher observations he/she made.

=COURSE ENVIRONMENT:= After some introductory components, the main part of the course will begin. From this point forward, the entire course display will be from a first person perspective.


 * For example**, the initial screen would be from a school hall. The principal of the school appears as a still image with corresponding text and voice. Then course will progress something like this:

The user will then be presented will a few options to answer. They have no bearing on the course. Afterward, the principal introduces the user's new student teacher, who appears. She asks:

From here, the user enters a name of his / her own choosing, and that name carries through the entire course as the user interacts with other characters at the virtual school. This initial meeting serves as an introduction to how the course works and subsequent interactions with the student teacher also "teaches" the user how to navigate the course. After these sections, the user will end up at his/her "desk."



Hovering the mouse over different parts of the desk will provide different feedback. Specifically, there will be one for each objective of the course. When the user clicks on a certain part of the image, he/she will be forwarded to the part of the course related to that objective. The user can return to the desk at any time. on


 * Objective:** Effectively mentor student teachers according to University standards.

For this objective, the user will travel to different classrooms in the school to observe and grade different student teachers. The interface for these observations will change slightly. The user will see a video of a student teacher, and will have the ability to grade the student teacher according to predetermined criteria:



The user's input will be compared with input from a team from the university to help determine if the potential mentor teacher is on par with the university's expectations. When the user is finished observing, he/she can move on to another observation segment, or go back to his/her "desk." All observations must be completed, though, in order to complete the course. After each observations, the user will be asked to express personal feedback about the examples he/she watched.


 * Objective:** Access and utilize tools to receive benefits for mentoring student teachers

For this objective, the user can click on the phone on the desk to contact the university. For the phone call, the user can select preset questions that the virtual university rep answers. These questions will be common, FAQ-type questions mentor teachers often have. The user also has a "I have a different question" option, and the university rep will provide a real phone number to the real-life university rep who can answer more specific or complicated questions. The perspective on the desk will change as well, showing forms and documents on the desktop. Clicking on a document or form allows the user to download that document.


 * Objective:** Utilize resources to help with mentor teaching

The university has a handbook of resources available for mentor teachers. An image of the handbook will be displayed on the desk. Clicking on the handbook will allow the user to see a virtual version of the handbook, with the option to print. Any links or references in the virtual handbook will be live, so the user will be able to access those resources in a separate window, outside the course.


 * Objective:** Connect and collaborate with other mentor teachers to enhance best practices.

This exists on the computer on the user's virtual desk. Clicking on the computer will display options for collaborating with other mentor teachers, primarily Web 2.0 tools. Clicking on an option will open the website for that tool in a separate window, outside the course.