Due Dates: Paper describing your design decision due May 23; Oral presentation (Power Point, Web, Poster) due June 14; written comment on presentation due June 15.

Overview. The test is to consider how best to use technology to teach a tool, a skill, or a process to an audience of independent learners. You may create your own tutoral outline in storyboard form or critique and redesign an existing tutorial. Another option is to design a portal page for an organization with examples of the kinds of tutorials, pathfinders, and links that might be appropriate to that context. You will have 7-10 minutes to make an oral presentation of your dsign to the class. The emphasis is on good design skills.

Consider the Audience. Begin your project by considering who the expected users of your tool will be and what you believe to be their characteristics and their learning needs. Determine your objectives for the project as a first step.

Select a Design Option. Three possible options are outlined below. You may propose a different option in keeping with the objective of the assignment, if you wish.

• Tutorial Outline. Using Power Point as your storyboard tool, create an outline for an interactive tutorial to teach a particular concept, tool or skill. You may use an existing lesson plan redesigning it as needed for independent learning (and giving credit, of course) or you may create your own lesson. In addition to the visual portrayal, prepare a short paper addressing the following:
  1. The need and how determined
  2. Your assumptions about the audience
  3. Your objectives for the tutorial
  4. How the person doing the tutorial will assess his/her learning
  5. How you will determine how effective your tutorial is
  6. What issues you see in the continuing use of the tutorial
  7. Any other comments you have about the tutorial

• Critique and Redesign of Existing Tutorial. Select an existing tutorial and write a short critique of it identifying its strengths and weaknesses. Plan a redesign to overcome the weaknesses making sure to address the first five points above.

• Portal or Instructional Gateway Page. For a selected organization, design a website showing the kinds of tutorials, pathfinders and links tat might be useful for independent learners. Create a mockup web page showing how the site would appear. In addition, prepare a short paper showing how the website addresses the first five points listed above.

Presentation. Using this as an opportunity to practice your presentational skills, prepare a 7-10 minute presentation with visuals showing the class your project and telling why you selected it and what you hope to accomplish with it. Consider it as an opportunity to practice thinking through your objectives for your talk, using a motivational "hook" at the beginning, involving the audience in some interactive way, and providing a strong summary and conclusion -- all within the given time limit.

Summary and Reflection. We will either use the same evaluation form as that used for the Lesson Plan assignment or a modified version of it. It will be a form to enable your classmates to rate you and provide suggestions for improvement. Before looking at these evaluations, prepare your own rating of your performance and then compare it to those of your classmates. Summarize these responses and identify your goals for improvement in a one-page paper to me.

Revised May 14, 2005.