Sample Lesson Plan

Computer Technology Class Encyclopedia This project is for an intermediate computer networking class Learning objectives: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of basic computer terminology 2. Present historical facts related to computer technologies 3. Work collaboratively to develop a class encyclopedia of computer technologies 4. Develop research and writing skills to support facts and opinions of computer technologies Rationale for the use of wiki: Collaboration is important to the development of technologies. This project will serve to create an encyclopedia of computer technologies that can be referenced by other students as well as develop the skill of sharing information and ideas among fellow technologists. A wiki is a logical tool to use for this project as it has the ability to be used by a group and does not have to be accessed from a single location. It can be secured with passwords in order to restrict access to the appropriate students. Wiki Component: The wiki will be the collection space for all entries of the encyclopedia. Students will add their entries to the wiki and allow other students to contribute to the entry. Students will also contribute to other students’ entries to construct accurate and complete data for each entry. Schedule: WEEK ACTIVITY PURPOSE 1 • Setup wiki user names and passwords. • Demonstrate the use of wikis. • Explore the layout of the class wiki to be used for this project. • Have each student contribute their personal profile to the Contributors’ Page of the wiki. • Provide secure access to the wiki. • Show students where they will post items. • Give students a chance to post an entry to the wiki. • Add each student’s information to the contributors’ page to give a feeling of ownership. 2 • Individuals select three technologies and create a basic definition for each. • Have students create small groups of 5 and pull together their technology selections. • Each group should select 5 of the technologies as their entries for the encyclopedia. • Giving each student a chance to come up with three options promotes the independent thinking skills needed for idea generation. • Pulling the students together into groups begins the collaborative skill building process and moves them from the individual worker to the small team worker. • By letting students select their own groups, they have a stronger sense of ownership for the project. • Selecting only 5 items to use for their entries out of the larger number creates the beginning of the collaboration portion of the project. 3 • Research the 5 items to be included in the encyclopedia. • Develops research skills as well as collaboration skills. 4 • Continue researching the technologies. • Begin building the entries for the encyclopedia. • Develops writing skills. 5 • Put final touches on the wiki entries. • Develops design and other authoring skills. 6 • Add group entries to the entire class encyclopedia. • Begin reviewing other groups' entries to see if there are matching entries. • Begin combining the entries from multiple groups and making them one united entry. • Continue working on collaboration skills. • Move from working as a small group to working as a larger team. 7 • Begin merging the class encyclopedia into the larger encyclopedia created by prior classes. • Moves students from larger team mentality to a large community mindset. • Gives students a chance to take ownership in a much larger project. • Develop skills in blending work with that of others for a unified voice. 8 • Write reflections of the process of creating an encyclopedia using a wiki. • Develops reflective and evaluative skills. Encyclopedia Grading Rubric: • Each entry must state the technology being defined • Each entry must give a definition of the technology • Each entry must have a summary history of the technology (development and evolution of the technology) • Each entry must give examples of how the technology is used • Each entry must give specifications of the technology • If possible, give future expectations of the technology • Each entry must have a minimum of 5 supporting citations Student Grading Rubric: • Each student must contribute three original ideas with definitions to be considered for encyclopedia entries • Each student must contribute a minimum of 2 supporting citations for each of the group’s encyclopedia entries • Each student must contribute to the creation of the entry via editing and commenting • Each student must contribute to the merging of the group’s entries into the larger class encyclopedia with constructive comments and editing • Each student must contribute to the merger of the class encyclopedia into the overall encyclopedia with constructive feedback and editing skills References: Hazari, S., North, A., & Moreland, D. (2009). Investigating pedagogical value of Wiki technology. Journal of information systems education. 20(2). 187-198. King, K. & Cox, T. (2011). The professor’s guide to taming technology. Charlotte. Information Age Publishing. West, J. and West, M. (2009). Using Wikis for online collaboration: The power of the read-write Web. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.