Internet Research Project using the ADDIE Model



Internet Research Project using the ADDIE Model

By

Lizanne Wallace

Towson University

Summer 2009

Introduction

ADDIE is a popular instructional technology tool used in both business and education. This model covers all aspects of instruction by dividing it into five categories; analyze, design, development, implement, and evaluation. By using this design, a research project can be broken down into manageable steps resulting in a predetermined goal. This lesson plan will follow the ADDIE model in implementing a middle school research paper by exploring each aspect of the design in detail.

Problem

The problem being addressed by this research project is twofold. The first has to do with fulfilling the Maryland VSC standard for Social Studies regarding knowledge about the Greek city-states. In order to meet the needs of the varied learning styles in a classroom, this project was created using a number of different techniques and technologies. The second problem is that once a student graduates from Middle School, they are required to produce a number of research papers throughout their high school careers. The administration has found that in the past, students from our school were not prepared for this type of activity. In using this lesson, we are able to better prepare the students for writing research papers by teaching them to evaluate sources and use note cards to pull together their information.

ADDIE Model

Standards

6th Grade Social Studies

Standard 5.0 - History: Students will examine significant ideas, beliefs, and themes; organize patterns and events; and analyze how individuals and societies have changed over time in Maryland and the United States.

B. Emergence, Expansion and Changes in Nations and Empires

2. Analyze the emergence and enduring influence of Aegean civilizations

b. Explain the emergence, rise and decline of the Greek city-states

6th Grade Technology Literacy Standards

Standard 2.0 – Digital Citizenship: Demonstrate and understanding of the history of technology and its impact on society, and practice ethical, legal, and responsible use of technology to assure safety.

B. Legal and Ethical Issues

1. Practice responsible and appropriate use of technology systems, software, and information.

d) Demonstrate proper care of equipment (such as following lab rules, handling equipment with care, appropriate printing of resources).

2. Demonstrate an understanding of current legal standards.

a) Comply with copyright laws and fair use provisions when using digital content.

b) Use electronic resources appropriately (such as paraphrasing).

c) Cite electronic sources of text and digital information properly (such as MLA, APA, Chicago).

ANALYZE

Goal:

As part of their social studies curriculum on Ancient History, each student will research an assigned Ancient Greek city-state, become an expert on that city-state and report their findings in the form of a paper. Students will be able to read information from a website and pull out the important information that needs to be included in their paper.

Objective:

• Students will recognize that each city-state was unique but was still united by common elements that enabled it to become a great society.

• Students will also be able to create a logical, well organized paper covering important items related to their assigned city-state.

Audience:

This project is being conducted with a 6th grade middle school Social Studies class at St. Francis de Sales Catholic School in Salisbury, Maryland. The class size is larger than normal and contains 34 students. There is an even mix between male and female. The racial profile of the class is white except for one African-American student. Most of the students are of average intelligence although there are a handful that are exceptionally bright. Two students in the class have 501s (because we are a private school we do not have IEPs). There are a few others who do not have formal 501s but benefit from individual help and special consideration.

Most of the students are from middle or upper middle class backgrounds and all have computers at home with internet access. They are familiar with computers and accessing information on line.

Physical Environment:

This class will be conducted in the computer lab at St. Francis. The period lasts 55 minutes. The lab has 33 computers which means that each computer will be occupied and one student needs to use a laptop. There are 3 computers in a row on each side separated by an isle in the middle of the room. The three computers in the row are close together which is an issue for those students with ADHD or that need extra help. Distraction is a problem even for those without learning issues. The confined space also does not allow much workspace for the students and all backpacks have to left in the back of the room.

The left side of the room is made up of windows that start at shoulder height and continue to the ceiling. The room is bright but that does not seem to impact the ability to view the computer screens.

Learning Styles:

In a class of 34 students, learning styles vary widely. However, this type of project will benefit learners having visual, auditory and tactile learning styles the most.

• The visual learner will benefit by reading the information from the websites and writing down the facts on their note cards.

• Students with auditory learning needs are included by discussing and comparing information with their neighbor.

• Tactile learners are being reached by being able to do hands-on research themselves.

• Those kinesthetic or active learners are the most difficult groups to satisfy with this type of lesson. These would include children with ADHD or general distractibility problems. For these children, frequent breaks or the ability to help other students with their research may be a way for them to benefit from this activity.

Pre-existing Knowledge:

There is a certain amount of knowledge that the students will have to already know in order to complete this project. Some of the knowledge was gained through lessons earlier in the year in anticipation of this culminating project. Other knowledge was gained in previous years or through out of classroom exposure to computers. Pre-existing knowledge includes:

• How to turn on the computer and access the internet.

• How to get onto Mrs. Wallace’s webpage and access the on-line research project.

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• How to create an outline. A review of the specific outline used for this project was also done.

• The proper use of index cards to write down their facts and how those index cards relate to the outline they will be working from.

• Even though the websites are pre-chosen for them, we did review the factors used in determining what constitutes a reliable source.

• Knowledge of plagiarism. What it is, and how to avoid it.

• Discussion of the different types of citation formats and practice finding the correct information for the format they will be using.

• Knowledge and use of the word processing software, Word.

Timeline:

The 6th grade is scheduled for one Internet Research and one Library period per week, each period being 55 minutes long. By using both periods during the time of this on-line research paper, the students should able to complete their research within 2 weeks.

Those students finishing their research before the 2 week time limit can begin work on their paper. Completion of the paper should take no more than three to four additional class periods.

DESIGN

Teaching Style:

Once the pre-existing knowledge is in place, this project is a self-directed one. The students have been given the skeleton of the project in the form of the outline and the assigned city-state. By actively participating in research and taking notes on index cards, the students are becoming active learners.

This lesson plan follows the constructivist model by:

• Allowing for discussion about the facts that they have found by working in close proximity with other students.

• Helping each other with the development of their note cards.

• Clarifying items on the outline among themselves.

Instructional Content:

• Enduring Understanding - As part of the 6th grade Social Studies Standard 5.0, students are required to study the emergence, rise and decline of the Greek city states. In order to understand these things, students must not only be aware that each city-state was different, but how they differed.

• Essential Question – In spite of the fact that each city-state was part of larger civilization known as Ancient Greece, what made each city-state unique and how did they differ?

Technology Integration:

• User Interface:

This project is conducted using a website, , create by myself. Included on this site is all the documentation (outline, MLA formats, note card formats) that they will need to complete this project. Also on this site are links to a collection of age appropriate websites to guide their research.

• The fact that all instructional materials for this project are available on-line has helped those students who have difficulty with organization skills. There is no longer a risk of lost instructions or loss of additional handouts such as the outline and MLA format.

Assessment:

Each student will be assessed on two fronts:

1. How well they were able to use the information and tools on the website to gather information for their paper.

2. The quality of the research paper they produce based on a specific rubric.

DEVELOPMENT

Instructional Courseware:

This includes all materials that are necessary for the student to successfully complete this research project. All are available on-line as part of the internet research webpage.

• Greek city-states outline

• Proper MLA format for paper and source citations.

• Age appropriate websites for each city-state.

• Detailed instructions about what each student is required to accomplish.

• Rubric for final paper.

Procedures:

• Prior to start of the project:

o Review the concept of plagiarism. Confirm that they know what plagiarism is and how it can be avoided.

o Stress that the paper and source citations need to be in a specific format, in this case, MLA.

o

• At the beginning of the class when they will actually start the project:

o Give the students the website they will use to complete this project and make sure each one can access it from the computer they are working on.

o Review each section of the website.

o Model how the links on the website work

o Model for the students how to open the attachment containing the outline and review the outline with them. Give them the opportunity to ask questions regarding the outline.

o Model for the students how to open the attachment containing the MLA format for the paper and their citations and review each item. Give students the opportunity to ask questions about this format.

o Model for the students how to open the attachment containing the rubric and review that with them.

o Allow sufficient time for any other questions the students my have regarding any of the procedures just discussed.

IMPLEMENT

Before the students come into the lab to begin this project, the instructor needs to make sure that all the computers are turned on and can access the internet.

During this part of the ADDIE model, the students conduct their research using the linked websites. The Social Studies teacher and I will be available throughout the period to help the students and answer any questions that may arise throughout the course of the period.

Students able to self-direct can work independently. Those needing extra guidance will be able to get that from myself or the Social Studies teacher. The nature of the lab and this research project will allow those students who are proceeding without difficulty to help those who are having a harder time.

Each student will continue to work at their own pace until they have obtained all information required on the outline.

EVALUATION

There are two parts that need to be taken into account in this portion of the ADDIE model. The first is to evaluate the student’s performance and determine if they were able to meet the goals and objectives stated earlier. The second is to evaluate the lesson to determine how well the process worked and what may need to be improved.

• For the students:

o How well did the students take the information from the websites and distill it into a concise paper that covers all of the items in the outline?

o By observing them during their research, how well were they able to read the material and pick out the important information?

o Were they able to follow the MLA formats correctly when putting together their papers and bibliographies?

• For the instructor:

o The performance of the students is an important (although not the sole) indicator of how well all facets of the ADDIE model worked.

o Was the pre-existing knowledge of the students sufficient to complete this project or is more preparatory work necessary?

o Were there issues with the online design that made it difficult for some students to work with?

➢ This would be a good opportunity to have the students complete an anonymous survey on Survey Monkey about the research website.

o Was the Instructional Courseware (outlines, format samples, rubric) clear and easily understood?

o Were the procedures in the correct order so that lesson flowed smoothly from one aspect to the next?

In answering these questions, the instructor should be able to judge the effectiveness of this lesson of instruction. While the project is still fresh in the instructors mind, alterations should be made to the basic instruction.

Reflection

Much of the planning for the lessons we create on a daily basis is not done in such a detailed or formal manner. However, ADDIE is a wonderful tool to help ensure that my lessons are complete and meet not only the Maryland VSC Standards but also the goals and objectives that my students will ultimately need to accomplish. By being aware of the various learning styles and adapting my teaching styles, I hope to meet the learning needs of all my students be they visual, auditory, kinesthetic or any of the other learning styles out there. By guiding students toward active participation in their own learning, I am giving them a base on which they can build throughout their high school and college careers. In many cases, today’s students are more technologically savvy than their instructors. Outside of the classroom, they are exposed to technology, primarily relating to computers, on a daily basis. As educators, it is our responsibility to incorporate this technology into their daily lives at school. The way a student learns has changed dramatically in the last ten to fifteen years and we must adapt to that change.

Having said that, I must admit that incorporating technology into my lesson plans is not always simple. I have struggled with this project but after reviewing my work I feel that I have accomplished the goal of applying the ADDIE model to this project. However, I realize that a lesson plan that looks good on paper may not work well in an actual classroom situation. I am looking forward to implementing this lesson and critiquing what aspects need to be revised and what can be improved. I think this model is an excellent tool and I know that as I incorporate this framework into my teaching, my instruction will be more effective.

Resources

Malachowski, Michael J., PhD. (2002). ADDIE Based Five-Step Method Towards Instructional

Design. Retrieved June 22, 2009 from

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Dodge, Bernie. (2008). Four NETS for Better Searching. Retrieved June 22, 2009 from

.

Baltimore County Public Schools. (2009). Learning Styles and Preferences. Retrieved

June 23, 2009 from .

Clark, D. R. (2004),Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains. Retrieved June 23,

2009 from

Clark, D.R.. (2004). Learning Strategies. Retrieved June 23, 2009 from

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