1. Digital Artefacts
EDUC1751 Assignment 1

2. Artefact One: Meaning in Context
REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS
Quality lessons constructed around the Quality Teaching Model should have strong real world connections. These connections make the content of the lessons significant to the students as well as engaging. This first artefact definitely does this as it explores the modern use of language the students will be familiar with. There is an exercise based around the use of text message and email language, as used by students throughout Australia. In this exercise the students are exposed to two differing points of view or opinions on this contentious subject, and must identify these as they are inferred in the text.
The layout of this artefact is also an attempt to connect the learning and knowledge to the real world. The home page is based on a messy room, similar to that of your typical teenager. Unfortunately I think this is a transparent attempt at making the quest significant and detracts from the otherwise successful and authentic learning produced here.
3. Connections to syllabus and curriculum
All of the syllabus documents related to English in a High School setting include outcomes focused on students understanding and using the English Language effectively. For example this quest takes an historical focus on the changing of language overtime. The students are exposed to exercises based on Old English as compared to modern 21st Century English. This exercise and others like it work to give the students an historical context for their language, as well as showing them how language was once used.There are also opportunities for students to develop their vocabulary and experience some of the most commonly used language techniques. At the beginning of the quest students are introduced to terms and concepts they may not have had previous experience with, such as deterioration and ameloriation. The exercise completed here helps the students to understand these concepts; as well as developing the skills to identify these in language. The students also complete an exercise based on alliteration, and hyperbole in which they must be able to identify these techniques in text. This exercise would present a challenge to most students, based on the year level this artefact was recommended for. To construct new learning and knowledge there must be a challenge, in this case there are two identifiable challenges, the limit to the students background knowledge and the students ability to identify these techniques in text.
4. Pedagogical implications
Although this quest could be used as an individual exercise there are opportunities for discussion between students and teacher. For example the assumed knowledge within the quest offers an opportunity for the students to co-construct, if there is no background knowledge. The students and even the teacher are able to assist with the development in a collaborative manner.
This quest is definitely useful in relation to achieving outcomes concerned with the use and understanding of the English Language. By showing students the development of language overtime they are able to see and experience valid uses of the English language, as well as their own use and experience of language. This quest also offers the students an opportunity to refine and build on their own ICT skills. This quest could even be used a whole class exercise utilising a Smart Board and collaborative learning strategies within the classroom. Much could be gained from this quest by utilising it at the beginning of a unit of work, or even as a revision exercise, however, I believe the final product constructed by the students from this quest needs refinement and development.I believe the teacher would need to take control of this particular element and be explicit about what it is the students need to produce, as the outline provided is not explicit enough.
5. Connections to future and current learning
There is much discussion in relation to technology in the classroom and how this relates to effective learning in our students. This quest provides students an opportunity to learn in a context and manner in which they are familiar and comfortable. It also fulfils the need to differentiate and diversify the exercises and presentation of information and knowledge in a unit of work.
STRUCTURE
I did find there were a few structural issues with this quest. Once participating in an exercise you could not return to the main screen and swap exercises. This is also true for the final part of the quest. Once engaged in this exercise you could not back track to previous sections if having issues with some of the language features used. I also found that you could complete a few of the exercises simply through trial and error. I think it would have been worthwhile to find a way to record the answers of the students and show the number of correct and incorrect answers. However, this way of answering questions based on trial and error or button mashing would be an issue with all webquests and the like and it is difficult to see how this could be rectified.
6. ARTEFACT 2: ESSAY WRITING
The focus of this digital learning resource is to help students develop their essay writing skills. The information is presentedusing a common experience shared by those engaged in the writing of essays. However, it is hard to identify any other real world connections. The blurb at the beginning does explain that the tips and strategies delivered through the resource will help make the essay writing exercise much easier and less stressful, even if all the essays are due at the same time. There is a more implicit connection to the real world expressed through the language used. The definitions of key words, as well as the language used in general is very similar to that used by people during their everyday interactions. In this way the language actually supports students learning.
7. This Digital Learning Resource can be made to fit within the outcomes related to the effective use of the English Language during the study of the Subject English. However, seeing as there is nothing produced or constructed by the student there are no assessable outcomes associated with this resource. Rather this should be used in a scaffolding or summary exercise, to help students reinforce and further their understanding of essay writing skills and the appropriate format associated with this text type.
Every student experiencing essay writing for the first time finds this skill very confronting and challenging and this artefact presents a great opportunity to learn the theory behind these skills.
CONNECTIONS TO SYLLABUS AND CURRICULUM
8. Structure
The resource is easy to navigate and very user friendly, I can not see any limitations in relation to layout or delivery of information. The only issues associated with this resource come from an education stand point as the students are not asked to develop or construct any work with the information from the resource. I believe the teacher would need to take charge here and develop an exercise to help the students in this area.