Justification
The justification for the design of the web based inquiry project focuses on developing student engagement, learning and assessment of individual sporting performance. Seoul Foreign British School runs a FOBISSEA (Federation of British International Schools in South East Asia) programme, 12 girls and 12 boys get selected to represent the School in Basketball, Football, Swimming and Athletics in overseas competitions. This programme is highly competitive and all 24 students have to compete in all four sports making them multi-talented athletes or mini Olympians. FOBISSEA training takes place on Tuesday and Thursday, as part of their fitness training all students complete the 12 minute cooper run. The results are recorded using a clipboard and pen which can be unreliable and inconsistent.
The website provides a different approach to the teaching and assessment of students during FOBISSEA training. Bransford, Brown and Cocking (2000) article on Learning from Speculation to Science states each student learns in a different way and there is no universal best teaching practice. The outcome of this web based inquiry project will give students ownership of their training and increase their knowledge on fitness and nutrition. Providing students with the opportunity to design and create their own fitness portfolio encourages them to review and reflect on their performance. Harry Grover Tuttle (2007) article on Digital Age Assessment suggests e-portfolios reflect more in-depth, more comprehensive and better thought-out evidence of student learning then on-demand tests.
The inquiry project addresses the need for all students to prepare for the literacy future. Julie Corio (2003) paper on Exploring Literacy on the Internet suggests the definition of literacy has expanded from traditional notions of reading and writing to include the ability to learn, comprehend and interact with technology in a meaningful way. Teachers and students will have to adapt to this change of reading comprehension. Proficiency in the new literacies of the Internet will become essential to our students literacy future states Corio (2003). The screen-casts and guidelines of how to evaluate information on the Internet will help scaffold the beginning of this process which will be a continual learning curve in 21st century skills. Dr Bernadette Dwyer paper on Developing online reading comprehension (2012) outlines:
" The new literacies perspective posit that searching for information online is a "problem-based inquiry process" requiring skill, strategies and affective dimensions in posing effective questions to structure online inquiry; locating relevant information; critically assessing the currency of that information to the task question; and synthesizing and communicating that information to others."
Bransford et al (2000) article outlined three areas for inquiry based learning: Pre-existing Knowledge, Active Learning and Metacognitive approach. Each student understands the importance of fitness training on their performance on all four sports as they all compete at a high standard of competition. New Knowledge must be constructed from existing knowledge (Bransford et al., 2000). The lesson plans are designed to extend their prior knowledge on fitness and nutrition to benefit their training. Developing research and a deeper understanding on how they can develop health active lifestyles and build on prior knowledge of fitness to become better athletes. Active Learning as defined by Bransford is the importance of helping people take control of their own learning (2000). The results of each training session are collected by the teachers but through the dynamic infrastructure of this project the students will be taking ownership of their own data collection. Each student will select their running app and record their results on their own personal fitness portfolio. This will give them reliable and consistent data to improve their training and set personal goals. Meta-cognition is people's ability to predict their performance on various task and to monitor their current levels of mastery and understanding (Bransford et al., 2000). As outlined in the lesson plans students will record their emotions, self-asses their performance and set personal goals through a pod-casts or audio device. This process will enable students to be aware of the impact of performance and the psychology component of sport.
The self assessment and peer assessment element to this web-based inquiry is essential to students development as coaches and athletes. This skill will enable students to become sports analysis in their chosen sport. Evaluating others work will improve their understanding and knowledge through feedback becoming self-regulators. Self-assessment becomes a regular part of learning as students frequently select or re-evaluate which of their work is the best evidence of their skills and strive to create even better evidence in their future assignments (Tuttle, 2007).
Assembling an e-portfolio, or electronic portfolio is an excellent method for assessing student's progress toward school, state, or national academic standards as well as 21st century skills (Tuttle, 2007). The vision for SFBS PE department is for every student to transfer knowledge and understanding of PE onto a fitness portfolio. The rubric was designed using the level descriptors for Health-Related Fitness from the National Curriculum standards for PE. Each students fitness portfolio will be assessed over the year using the rubric, linking into the National Curriculum standards for PE. The web-based inquiry project will provide opportunities for teachers to enhance teaching & pedagogy, explore assessment for learning and new literacies skills which are evolving in this current new literacy world.
References:
The website provides a different approach to the teaching and assessment of students during FOBISSEA training. Bransford, Brown and Cocking (2000) article on Learning from Speculation to Science states each student learns in a different way and there is no universal best teaching practice. The outcome of this web based inquiry project will give students ownership of their training and increase their knowledge on fitness and nutrition. Providing students with the opportunity to design and create their own fitness portfolio encourages them to review and reflect on their performance. Harry Grover Tuttle (2007) article on Digital Age Assessment suggests e-portfolios reflect more in-depth, more comprehensive and better thought-out evidence of student learning then on-demand tests.
The inquiry project addresses the need for all students to prepare for the literacy future. Julie Corio (2003) paper on Exploring Literacy on the Internet suggests the definition of literacy has expanded from traditional notions of reading and writing to include the ability to learn, comprehend and interact with technology in a meaningful way. Teachers and students will have to adapt to this change of reading comprehension. Proficiency in the new literacies of the Internet will become essential to our students literacy future states Corio (2003). The screen-casts and guidelines of how to evaluate information on the Internet will help scaffold the beginning of this process which will be a continual learning curve in 21st century skills. Dr Bernadette Dwyer paper on Developing online reading comprehension (2012) outlines:
" The new literacies perspective posit that searching for information online is a "problem-based inquiry process" requiring skill, strategies and affective dimensions in posing effective questions to structure online inquiry; locating relevant information; critically assessing the currency of that information to the task question; and synthesizing and communicating that information to others."
Bransford et al (2000) article outlined three areas for inquiry based learning: Pre-existing Knowledge, Active Learning and Metacognitive approach. Each student understands the importance of fitness training on their performance on all four sports as they all compete at a high standard of competition. New Knowledge must be constructed from existing knowledge (Bransford et al., 2000). The lesson plans are designed to extend their prior knowledge on fitness and nutrition to benefit their training. Developing research and a deeper understanding on how they can develop health active lifestyles and build on prior knowledge of fitness to become better athletes. Active Learning as defined by Bransford is the importance of helping people take control of their own learning (2000). The results of each training session are collected by the teachers but through the dynamic infrastructure of this project the students will be taking ownership of their own data collection. Each student will select their running app and record their results on their own personal fitness portfolio. This will give them reliable and consistent data to improve their training and set personal goals. Meta-cognition is people's ability to predict their performance on various task and to monitor their current levels of mastery and understanding (Bransford et al., 2000). As outlined in the lesson plans students will record their emotions, self-asses their performance and set personal goals through a pod-casts or audio device. This process will enable students to be aware of the impact of performance and the psychology component of sport.
The self assessment and peer assessment element to this web-based inquiry is essential to students development as coaches and athletes. This skill will enable students to become sports analysis in their chosen sport. Evaluating others work will improve their understanding and knowledge through feedback becoming self-regulators. Self-assessment becomes a regular part of learning as students frequently select or re-evaluate which of their work is the best evidence of their skills and strive to create even better evidence in their future assignments (Tuttle, 2007).
Assembling an e-portfolio, or electronic portfolio is an excellent method for assessing student's progress toward school, state, or national academic standards as well as 21st century skills (Tuttle, 2007). The vision for SFBS PE department is for every student to transfer knowledge and understanding of PE onto a fitness portfolio. The rubric was designed using the level descriptors for Health-Related Fitness from the National Curriculum standards for PE. Each students fitness portfolio will be assessed over the year using the rubric, linking into the National Curriculum standards for PE. The web-based inquiry project will provide opportunities for teachers to enhance teaching & pedagogy, explore assessment for learning and new literacies skills which are evolving in this current new literacy world.
References:
- Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L. & Cocking, R.R. (2000). Learning: From speculation to science. In J.D. Bransford, A.L., Brown & R.R. Cocking (Eds.), How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school (pp. 3-27). Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309070368
- Coiro, J. (2003). Reading comprehension on the Internet : Expanding our understanding of reading comprehension to encompass new literacies.The Reading Teacher, 56(5), 458-464.
- Dwyer, B. (2012, in press ). Developing online reading comprehension: Changes, challenges and consequences. In K. Hall, T. Cremin, B. Comber & L. Moll (Eds.), International handbook of research in children’s literacy, learning and culture. UK: Wiley-Blackwell
- Tuttle, H. G. (2007, February 15). Digital-age assessment. Tech & Learning. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/44127