Cognitive

Analyze, synthesize, use inductive and deductive reasoning, solve problems effectively and creatively.

Click here to see artifact.

Introduction/Context

For the EDTEC Cognitive standard, the artifact I chose was the Instructional Design Package that I developed individually for EDTEC 544, Instructional Design, and EDTEC 572, Technology for Course Delivery.  This was my favorite semester over the course of the two years in the Educational Technology program.  The instructors for EDTEC 544 and 572 got together in advanced and planned for the courses to overlap in the final artifact.  Looking back, working with the instructors, Terri Linman and Dr. T.J. Kopcha, was extremely memorable, though I struggle to differentiate who’s class taught what unless I look at my assignments.  This was a positive effect of working with instructors who taught as a team.  As a classroom teacher, I would love it if my 7th graders experienced the same feelings.  In addition, I loved these courses because I was learning relevant tools while improving the delivery of content in my own classroom directly.  I got into this program intending to improve my classroom instruction, and this semester had the most direct, positive influence on that.

Connection to Standard

Cognitive standards are demonstrated throughout my instructional package.  To begin with, I used cognitive skills when I conducted an analysis and concluded that my students would benefit tremendously if I designed an instructional package with this objective:  Given the necessary time, instruction, and technology, 20 7th grade Seminar Social Studies students will work in groups of five to produce Kabuki drama-style films that are 2-5 minutes in length and demonstrate a working knowledge of the art of Kabuki and the social structure of Feudal Japan in accordance with California History-Social Science standard 7.5. Students will be able to produce videos about Japanese peasants, artisans, samurai, courtiers, merchants, and/or Zen Buddhist monks and nuns.  While conducting the analysis and content map for the instructional package in EDTEC 544, I was synthesizing the design principles I learned in EDTEC 572 to develop more effective instructional tools in iGoogle, googlepages/sites, power point, video production software, etc.

I used inductive reasoning when I observed my student-produced videos in 2007.  I reasoned that because students had not met the objective of developing scripts with a Kabuki-style feel, then they must not have had enough information to work with.  For this reason, I realized my instructional package needed to include tools for teachers to give students in order to fully understand Kabuki-style drama.  The use of this inductive reasoning became the premise for Activity 1, which applied Gagne’s nine events to assist students in meeting the objective, to create Kabuki drama-style films.  I then used deductive reasoning to lay out the content map for the instructional package for EDTEC 544.  Deductive reasoning begins with the general and then gets specific.  For the content map which shaped each activity in the Instructional Design Package, I developed five objectives and then deduced what the specific steps would be.  For instance, to write the script for a Kabuki-drama style film, I deduced that students should be able to identify elements of Kabuki.  To do this, I concluded that students should view a power point presentation about Kabuki.  However, before viewing the power point, I deduced that students should read about Kabuki drama and see an example of it.  The Instructional Design Package, therefore, is an A-Z guide for teachers to help students meet the above objective.  It includes the cognitive processes I developed while undertaking both courses.  While the Instructional Package, was the culminating project for EDTEC 572, the cognitive standards for EDTEC that I addressed during its production were acquired in both EDTEC 544 and 572.

Problems/Opportunites

I think the hardest part of the developing the Instructional Design Package was organizing the content map.  This process involved my spending roughly eight hours of cognitive thinking to clarify five concrete objectives and then deduces the steps for each objective.  With a full day of trial and error, followed by some coaching from T.J. Kopcha, I was able to really clarify the objectives that would be the basis of each activity and then the steps needed for each activity in order to meet each objective.

Reflection on Growth

This class revolutioned the way I think now when I produce learning activities.  Developing the Instructional Design Package made me a more effective instructional designer because I use deductive reasoning to a much larger degree when I design learning activities today.  My Instructional Design Package has since been referred to by other professionals who desire to facilitate in their students producing videos.  Completing this work enhanced my job performance and taught me how to utilize deductive reasoning while designing instruction.  It was during this second semester of my Master’s degree program that I felt I was transitioning from being a teacher to an instructional designer.