Learning Exercise

1. Students read the website "Instructional Design & Learning
Theory"

( http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm ) and
told to come to class prepared to discuss what they read. Students should
consider the following as they read:

               
a. Do you agree with the author?s suggestions?

               
b. Do you have other suggestions for how the learning theories discussed impact
design?

               
c. What specific examples of learning activities do you feel are supported by
various learning theories and why?

               
d. Write down at least one question that you believe would be profitable to
discuss in class.

2. Students will discuss the above questions along with those they
developed while reading.

3. Choose one of the following and create a learning activity for any
part of one of the following Grondlund objectives and explain what theory
supports that activity and why. Be specific. Go beyond what you read this week
and think about the what we have learned so far about instructional design and
about learning theories.

1.0 Students will learn about plants.

        1.1 Students will label the parts of
a plant.

        1.2 Students will explain
photosynthesis.

        1.3 Students will list the things a
plant needs to grow.

2.0 Students will learn about business letters.

        2.1 Students willdescribe the parts
of a business letter.

        2.2 Students will write a business
letter in the accepted format.

3.0 Students will explore the causes of the American Revolution.

        3.1 Students will compare and
contrast English and Colonial attitudes toward taxation.

        3.2 Students will list the reasons
given for the dissatisfaction of the colonists.

        3.3 Students will write an essay
giving the Loyalist stance toward the colonies and Britain.

        3.4 Students will write an essay
giving the Rebel stance toward the colonies and Britain.

4. After groups have completed the above activity, the groups will
share their activity with the class. Discussion about the activity and support
will occur so that students can refine their individual understanding before
completing the individual activity.

5. After class students will individually create a learning activity
in an area they choose. Along with creating the activity students will identify
the learning theory that supports the activity and explain in detail why that
theory was chosen as support.