Course Activity Map (CAM) Presentation at SWBUG 2010

Last week I participated in the Southwest Blackboard Users Group conference and presented on Course Activity Maps (CAMS). The conference was delivered via Wimba, and the archive does start a few minutes into the presentation. Here is a link:

Expanding TPACK to Address Beliefs and Practices

TPC 3D is an expansion of the TPCK/TPACK framework.

By adding a layer for practices (TPCP) and a layer for beliefs (TPCB), TPC 3D is able to address the personal resources used by SME/Fs (Subject Matter Expert/Facilitators) to develop and deliver online courses via a LMS (Learning Management System) in higher education. For more information on the relationship between beliefs, knowledge and practices read this article by Peggy Ertmer referred to in this post-- pedagogical beliefs in online classes.

Course Activity Map II

I have been using Inspiration to create CAMs, but I have recently been working in Visual Understanding Environment (VUE), an open-source mapping program from Tufts University.

I really like the crisp graphics in the workspace and in the exported files.

Course Activity Map

A Course Activity Map (CAM) is an Instructional Design tool that facilitates communication between Instructional Designers, Course Facililtators and other members of an online course design team. CAMs use symbols based on the OAR model to plot the connections between goals, content and activities in Blackboard. CAMs represent the ratio between Acquisition Activities (opportunities for students to gain knowledge and skills) and Application Activities (opportunities for students to demonstrate knowledge and skills).

Online Course Syllabus Template Tool

At FACT we have developed the Online Syllabus Template Tool (OSTT) to provide instructors developing online courses for higher education with:

- a context-specific syllabus structure consistent with the OAR model
- a sample syllabus that models best practices
- an easy-to-modify Microsoft Word template

The OSTT is an Adobe .pdf file that can be opened in the free Adobe Reader program. Users can navigate in the tool just as they would in a web page by mousing over buttons and clicking. Users can use "show info"/"hide info" buttons to toogle between a pageview that shows the sample language and or a pageview that shows descriptive information.

A download of the OSTT is available here.

Merrill's First Principles Situated in the OAR Model Domains

Merrill's First Principles of Instruction (2002, 2006) state that learning is promoted when:

• Instruction takes place in the context of real-world tasks that are progressively difficult
• Learners activate relative cognitive structures by recalling or demonstrating prior knowledge or experience
• Learners observe a demonstration of new knowledge
• Learners apply new knowledge, receiving feedback and coaching that is gradually withdrawn
• Learners integrate their new knowledge by reflecting on, discussing, defending, presenting new knowledge and creating personal ways to use it

We have developed a instructional design model which situates Merrill's First Principles in the OAR Model domains:



The task (or problem) is a Resource and the core component available to influence and/or measure student behavior. Objectives are statements created to define and/or measure desired student behavior. Activities are opportunities created to inlfluence and/or measure defined student behavior.

There are two types of Activities: Acquisition and Application. Merrill's activate and demonstration phases are Acquisition Activities, where opportunities to gain knowledge and skills are created to influence defined student behavior. Merrill's apply and integrate phases are Application Activities, where opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and skills are created to influence and/or measure defined student behavior.

References:

Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(3), 43-59.

Merrill, M. D. (2006). First principles of instruction: a synthesis. Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (2nd Ed.). Prentice-Hall, Inc.

OAR model page on Wikipedia

I have created a page on Wikipedia describing the OAR model: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OAR_model

I would appreciate feedback from interested parties!