Design Rationale
This unit has been specifically designed to suit a year 10 English class of twenty-eight students. The class consists of nineteen boys and nine girls. None of the students have learning difficulties, however three of the students are below their age level for reading. A majority of the learners are bodily/kinesthetic learners, while there are some verbal/linguistic learners and some visual/spatial learners. The unit has been constructed with these elements in mind. The major assessment is centred around the bodily/kinesthetic learners, by allowing them to act out scenes using their body and provides a hands-on approach to learning. The collaborative wiki and individual blog reflections suit the needs of the verbal/linguistic learners, while the online quiz the students are asked to complete, as well as watching the television series in class and creating the presentation for the major assessment suit the visual/spatial learners. The different activities and tasks the students complete through the unit enable them to learn through both their own most suited learning style, as well as try other learning styles.
The unit has been designed around the concepts of Bloom’s Taxonomy, the TPACK framework, the DoL framework, and to suit the requirements of the Queensland Studies Authority Year 10 English Curriculum. It has also been designed to include learning theory; to enhance student learning and ensure they are receiving the best content possible to adhere with their specific learning requirements. ICT has been used as an integral part of the unit, to expand students’ knowledge and allow them to fulfil their learning requirements.
Blooms Taxonomy has been integrated into the unit to ensure students are working through the categories as the lessons progress, to reach higher order thinking and expand and create new knowledge on their own by the completion of the unit. The first category of Bloom’s Taxonomy, Knowledge, is used at the beginning of the unit to introduce the students to the topic. They are asked what knowledge they already have about the topic, and are asked to recite any prior knowledge they already have. The second category, Comprehension, can be seen in the second lesson, where students are asked to read a section of Macbeth, and write a summary on it to present to the rest of the class. This means they must put what the scene is about into their own words. The third category, Application, is used in the fourth lesson, as the students must use the information they already have learnt to complete a quiz on language devices, and then find where Shakespeare has used language devices in Macbeth. The fourth category of Bloom’s Taxonomy, Analysis, can be seen in lesson five, when the students must create a Wiki and begin to analyse the scene of the play they have chosen to complete their assignment on, and begin to brainstorm ideas of how they can adapt the scene to fulfil the task requirements. The fifth category, Synthesis, is evident through the students’ construction of their major assessment task, which is ultimately where they show higher order thinking skills. The students must create a new context and alter the scene, while also using language device to create meaningful sentence structure. The students must also use the ICT tools including video cameras, computers, presentation software and video cameras to create their major assessment piece. The final category in the Taxonomy, Evaluation, is used in the students’ blog reflections. They must reflect on certain aspects of the course, while evaluating it’s effectiveness and discussing their experience.
Each of the Dimensions of Learning from the DoL Framework have been incorporated into the unit to ensure the best possible learning outcomes for all students. The first dimension, Attitudes and Perceptions, has been integrated through the use of the reflective blog. It asks the students to reflect on what they have been learning and their thoughts and feelings throughout the unit. This ensures they are enjoying the unit and receiving the multiple learning opportunities from it. The first dimension is also incorporated through teacher monitoring. The teacher must constantly be monitoring class behaviour and attitudes, both in class and in the collaborative wiki’s and individual blogs. The teacher must also ensure their own attitudes towards the unit are positive and they are conveying this to the students.
The second dimension is seen within the unit through it’s two parts, Declarative and Procedural knowledge. Declarative knowledge can be seen through the students learning about Macbeth by reading the play and watching the television series, and then answering questions and summarising what they have just learnt. It can also be seen through the integration of their previous knowledge about language devices into the unit. Procedural knowledge is used within the unit as the students construct their own scene around one of the scene’s from Macbeth. They apply their knowledge about the play, modern day settings, and language devices, to create a new product. The students work together to come up with the best possible outcome of their short film, and this contributes to their procedural knowledge.
Dimension three, Extend and Refine Knowledge, is used within the unit through the major assessment task. Students are asked to use their knowledge of Macbeth to create new outcomes for the scene they have chosen to work on. Dimension four is also seen within this task, as students solve issues with their group about how they will transform the scene, and what real-life, modern day aspects they will incorporate.
The final dimension, Habits of Mind, is used within the unit through the various group work tasks, and the individual blog reflections. Students must reflect on what they have been learning, and in group work situations must apply their knowledge to work with other members of the group to achieve the best outcomes.
Learning theory has been used to construct the unit, to ensure each child’s individual learning needs are met through the content of the unit. As has been mentioned, each student was assessed prior to the unit commencing, to determine how they best learn through the Multiple Intelligences test. These results determined the way in which the unit and assessment tasks were structured, so they suited each of the students learning needs.
The theory of Constructivism has also been used to develop the unit. The unit ensures that when the student is given new information, they use their prior knowledge to make connections about what it is about and to remember the new information. This is seen in lessons when the teacher asks students what they already know about the topic, and asks them to use their prior knowledge of language devices to create new concepts and ideas in their major assessment task. Constructivism can also be seen through the blog reflection task. Students are asked to reflect on the knowledge they have been taught throughout the unit, and on their feelings about the unit. This allows them to gain better understanding of the unit and assists them in remembering what they have been learning through ongoing reflection.
Cognitivism is another learning theory used throughout the unit. The activities ensure that the students are using their prior knowledge and experiences to develop new knowledge. It allows them to use a range of different situations, such as class discussions, small group-work, and individual reflection to draw on the knowledge and experiences they have. This allows them to create new knowledge by effectively connecting the information they are learning to information they already have in their mind.
Connectivism is the major learning theory used to shape the unit. Students use a range of different connections to other class members and the teacher to learn new information. A range of technologies, including wiki’s, websites, blogs, computer presentation and movie making software, video cameras and iPad’s, are used to establish different methods of learning the content. The students also collaborate their knowledge of the content to explore new ideas and concepts. Ultimately, the students are drawing on a range of networks in the classroom, a range of technology, and a range of different opinions and knowledge to create their own learning experiences.
Bloom’s Taxonomy, the DoL framework, the learning theories of Multiple Intelligences, Constructivism, Cognitivism and Connectivism, and the use of ICT within the unit, have all been used to shape the unit under the TPACK framework. Each theory and framework enhances and integrates the pedagogical knowledge of the teacher with the content and uses technology to support and enhance learning. Each of the tasks within the unit is specifically designed to incorporate these three elements. Pedagogical knowledge is seen through the use of learning theory in specific activities including group work, summarisation, presentation, individual reflection and creative application, to find new solutions and outcomes. These activities are used with the content of the unit, to ensure the students are learning and remembering the content, and then using the content in real-life situations. Technology is made integral to these two aspects to enhance and support student learning. Each of the assessment tasks is designed around technology, as it best involves the student and allows the teacher to monitor students’ progress and provide the most appropriate scaffolding and feedback. Without the use of technology, the teacher would not be able to assess the students’ work, as all assessment tasks are focused around ICT devices and programs. Overall, the main focus of the unit is to ensure that the students are receiving the appropriate content to suit the requirements of the Queensland School Authorities Year 10 Curriculum. This is done using the most appropriate pedagogical methods to suit each individual student, through technology based learning and assessment.
The unit has been designed around the concepts of Bloom’s Taxonomy, the TPACK framework, the DoL framework, and to suit the requirements of the Queensland Studies Authority Year 10 English Curriculum. It has also been designed to include learning theory; to enhance student learning and ensure they are receiving the best content possible to adhere with their specific learning requirements. ICT has been used as an integral part of the unit, to expand students’ knowledge and allow them to fulfil their learning requirements.
Blooms Taxonomy has been integrated into the unit to ensure students are working through the categories as the lessons progress, to reach higher order thinking and expand and create new knowledge on their own by the completion of the unit. The first category of Bloom’s Taxonomy, Knowledge, is used at the beginning of the unit to introduce the students to the topic. They are asked what knowledge they already have about the topic, and are asked to recite any prior knowledge they already have. The second category, Comprehension, can be seen in the second lesson, where students are asked to read a section of Macbeth, and write a summary on it to present to the rest of the class. This means they must put what the scene is about into their own words. The third category, Application, is used in the fourth lesson, as the students must use the information they already have learnt to complete a quiz on language devices, and then find where Shakespeare has used language devices in Macbeth. The fourth category of Bloom’s Taxonomy, Analysis, can be seen in lesson five, when the students must create a Wiki and begin to analyse the scene of the play they have chosen to complete their assignment on, and begin to brainstorm ideas of how they can adapt the scene to fulfil the task requirements. The fifth category, Synthesis, is evident through the students’ construction of their major assessment task, which is ultimately where they show higher order thinking skills. The students must create a new context and alter the scene, while also using language device to create meaningful sentence structure. The students must also use the ICT tools including video cameras, computers, presentation software and video cameras to create their major assessment piece. The final category in the Taxonomy, Evaluation, is used in the students’ blog reflections. They must reflect on certain aspects of the course, while evaluating it’s effectiveness and discussing their experience.
Each of the Dimensions of Learning from the DoL Framework have been incorporated into the unit to ensure the best possible learning outcomes for all students. The first dimension, Attitudes and Perceptions, has been integrated through the use of the reflective blog. It asks the students to reflect on what they have been learning and their thoughts and feelings throughout the unit. This ensures they are enjoying the unit and receiving the multiple learning opportunities from it. The first dimension is also incorporated through teacher monitoring. The teacher must constantly be monitoring class behaviour and attitudes, both in class and in the collaborative wiki’s and individual blogs. The teacher must also ensure their own attitudes towards the unit are positive and they are conveying this to the students.
The second dimension is seen within the unit through it’s two parts, Declarative and Procedural knowledge. Declarative knowledge can be seen through the students learning about Macbeth by reading the play and watching the television series, and then answering questions and summarising what they have just learnt. It can also be seen through the integration of their previous knowledge about language devices into the unit. Procedural knowledge is used within the unit as the students construct their own scene around one of the scene’s from Macbeth. They apply their knowledge about the play, modern day settings, and language devices, to create a new product. The students work together to come up with the best possible outcome of their short film, and this contributes to their procedural knowledge.
Dimension three, Extend and Refine Knowledge, is used within the unit through the major assessment task. Students are asked to use their knowledge of Macbeth to create new outcomes for the scene they have chosen to work on. Dimension four is also seen within this task, as students solve issues with their group about how they will transform the scene, and what real-life, modern day aspects they will incorporate.
The final dimension, Habits of Mind, is used within the unit through the various group work tasks, and the individual blog reflections. Students must reflect on what they have been learning, and in group work situations must apply their knowledge to work with other members of the group to achieve the best outcomes.
Learning theory has been used to construct the unit, to ensure each child’s individual learning needs are met through the content of the unit. As has been mentioned, each student was assessed prior to the unit commencing, to determine how they best learn through the Multiple Intelligences test. These results determined the way in which the unit and assessment tasks were structured, so they suited each of the students learning needs.
The theory of Constructivism has also been used to develop the unit. The unit ensures that when the student is given new information, they use their prior knowledge to make connections about what it is about and to remember the new information. This is seen in lessons when the teacher asks students what they already know about the topic, and asks them to use their prior knowledge of language devices to create new concepts and ideas in their major assessment task. Constructivism can also be seen through the blog reflection task. Students are asked to reflect on the knowledge they have been taught throughout the unit, and on their feelings about the unit. This allows them to gain better understanding of the unit and assists them in remembering what they have been learning through ongoing reflection.
Cognitivism is another learning theory used throughout the unit. The activities ensure that the students are using their prior knowledge and experiences to develop new knowledge. It allows them to use a range of different situations, such as class discussions, small group-work, and individual reflection to draw on the knowledge and experiences they have. This allows them to create new knowledge by effectively connecting the information they are learning to information they already have in their mind.
Connectivism is the major learning theory used to shape the unit. Students use a range of different connections to other class members and the teacher to learn new information. A range of technologies, including wiki’s, websites, blogs, computer presentation and movie making software, video cameras and iPad’s, are used to establish different methods of learning the content. The students also collaborate their knowledge of the content to explore new ideas and concepts. Ultimately, the students are drawing on a range of networks in the classroom, a range of technology, and a range of different opinions and knowledge to create their own learning experiences.
Bloom’s Taxonomy, the DoL framework, the learning theories of Multiple Intelligences, Constructivism, Cognitivism and Connectivism, and the use of ICT within the unit, have all been used to shape the unit under the TPACK framework. Each theory and framework enhances and integrates the pedagogical knowledge of the teacher with the content and uses technology to support and enhance learning. Each of the tasks within the unit is specifically designed to incorporate these three elements. Pedagogical knowledge is seen through the use of learning theory in specific activities including group work, summarisation, presentation, individual reflection and creative application, to find new solutions and outcomes. These activities are used with the content of the unit, to ensure the students are learning and remembering the content, and then using the content in real-life situations. Technology is made integral to these two aspects to enhance and support student learning. Each of the assessment tasks is designed around technology, as it best involves the student and allows the teacher to monitor students’ progress and provide the most appropriate scaffolding and feedback. Without the use of technology, the teacher would not be able to assess the students’ work, as all assessment tasks are focused around ICT devices and programs. Overall, the main focus of the unit is to ensure that the students are receiving the appropriate content to suit the requirements of the Queensland School Authorities Year 10 Curriculum. This is done using the most appropriate pedagogical methods to suit each individual student, through technology based learning and assessment.