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A Free and Online, Collaboratively Built American History Textbook

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What if you could map every book and article assigned in college courses around the world and see which authors are making the most impact?

A project run out of Columbia University is working to do just that. It's called the Open Syllabus Project, and this week its leaders released a new version of their tool that analyzes assignment lists from more than six million syllabi.

While the collection doesn't represent a complete picture of higher education (the U.S. is heavily overrepresented, for instance), it is the most comprehensive dataset of its kind ever assembled. Scholars can look for trends in which ideas cross disciplines, how ideas in fields change over time, and more.

For an audio version of this story, check out this week's EdSurge On Air Podcast. Listen above or on your favorite podcast app.

"This is a representation of the complete enterprise of higher education," says Joe Karaganis, project director of the Open Syllabus Project and vice president of a public policy institute at Columbia University.

A previous version of the project was released in 2016 with about one million syllabi. But version 2.0, released this week, is not only larger, but also allows users to view an interactive visualization that shows almost every text as dots on an interconnected map of knowledge. The larger the dot on the map, the more often it is assigned in a course. "You can see the ways in which fields connect, and the way subfields emerge out of established fields," says Karaganis.

Version 2.0 also makes an attempt to assign a score of 1 to 100 to each text that measures its influence in classrooms.

"We think of this as a new publication metric," says Karaganis. He notes that typically scholars look to citation indexes to see how frequently their work is mentioned in other scholarly works, but there hasn't been an equivalent for how often texts are taught. "We can now let faculty take credit for the work they've produced that has teaching applications," he added.

Most-Taught Texts

The most assigned author in the collection is William Shakespeare, who appears nearly 50,000 times among the 1.4 million authors assigned in the syllabi. Second place goes to Plato with more than 27,000 mentions. In third is Diana Hacker, an author of books on how to write, whose works appear on more than 25,500 syllabi. (She's apparently more influential than Aristotle, but not by much.)

The earlier version of the collection drew controversy when Karl Marx turned out to be the third most popular author in the first million syllabi collected (he now ranks sixth). That was flagged by some right-wing commentators as evidence of liberal bias in the academy. Karaganis, though, notes that the Communist Manifesto is most often taught in history courses.

Jon Becker, associate professor of educational leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University, says he thinks the expanded dataset could become a meaningful resource. But he also expressed concern that the presence of a score for how often texts are assigned may end up having unintended side effects.

One problem is that the system may lead to less diversity in classroom assignments as people look to the dataset for guidance. "Maybe some more marginalized texts get even more lost because a department decides not to adopt it because it doesn't have as high a score," he says.

Becker also notes that the tool may wind up with gaps because some professors are reluctant to share their syllabi publically. The Open Syllabus Project scans college websites, but can only see what is on publicly shared sites or is submitted directly to the collection.

Why are professors hesitant to share their syllabi? "My guess is that folks are worried that it will get critiqued in ways that they're not comfortable," Becker says. "Some professors aren't as confident in their teaching as they are in their research."

The public website of the Open Syllabus Project does not give access to individual syllabi and does not say what professors are teaching which texts. Instead, it lets users search aggregate information drawn from the collection.

Karaganis says the project hopes to allow scholars who request access to download a more complete version of the dataset to do their own number crunching, though the database will not be used for commercial purposes.

Over time, the project's leaders also hope to let users search on more details within syllabi. One field coming soon will be the gender of the authors of assigned texts. "What that will enable us to do is look at the history of gender balance in teaching and how it's changed over time and how it's looked in different disciplines and departments," says Karaganis.

Anecdotally it's clear that what professors assign today is far different than 50 or 100 years ago. At some point, tools like the Open Syllabus Project may make it possible to track those changes in a more concrete way.

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How a Database of 6 Million Syllabi Could Spawn a New Measure of Scholarly Impact - EdSurge News

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What if you could map every book and article assigned in college courses around the world and see which authors are making the most impact? A project run out of Columbia University is working to do just that.

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Memory and Recall: 10 Amazing Facts You Should Know - PsyBlog

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Human memory and recall works nothing like a computer, but that's what makes it all the more fascinating to understand and experience. "If we remembered everything we should on most occasions be as ill off as if we remembered nothing." ~William James It's often said that a person is the sum of their memories.

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Introduction to Psychology - Simple Book Publishing

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Introduction to Psychology, by Jorden A. Cummings (Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan) and Lee Sanders (Sessional Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan), has been created from a combination of original content and materials compiled and adapted from several open educational resources (OERs), including:

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Here's something new!

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How ADDY, Not ADDIE, Can Help You Build Better Courses - E-Learning Heroes

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One of the more frequent questions we hear goes something like this: "I've done all the right things: I did my analysis, designed appropriate learning activities, and developed my course using va...

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Welcome to my Instructional Design adventure!

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Welcome to my Instructional Design adventure!

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I am passionate about Instructional Design, Digital Art, Animation and Drawing. I hope you find some inspiration here...

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Model of Motivational Design

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John M. Keller's ARCS Motivational Design Model explained

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Sorting out terminology!

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Instructional Design: Episode 3- The Models

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A sampling of Instructional Design Models.

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Fun video!

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In preparing for my upcoming keynote for a conference with the theme "Instruction, research and the extension of e-learning", I have been contemplating what exactly is it to extend e-learning in every way and my keynote will address much of what I have researched and experienced, however, I have also been contemplating and pondering what...

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The following is a list of prescriptive instructional design models. Prescriptive models provide guidelines or frameworks to organize and structure the process of creating instructional activities. These models can be used to guide your approach to the art or science (your choice) of instructional design.

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“Gagné’s nine steps don’t address the bigger picture of ID, such as identifying the objectives, outlining the content based on the objectives, selecting the most appropriate media, developing the evaluation strategy, and so on. But you should keep Gagné’s events in mind when focusing on what the course will entail – from introduction to conclusion and follow-up after the course. "

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Many models of ID exist, from Robert Gagne's nine events to Frank Troha's eight questions, but all can deliver three key psychological principles.

©iStockphoto/Rikke68

Instructional design (ID) is based on three psychological principles of learning: behavioral, cognitive and constructivist. Behavioral psychology advocates repetition and reinforcement in learning material to create a "behavior" in the learner. Cognitive psychology focuses on engaging the learner's senses to create a learning process, while constructivism emphasizes the learner's own experience and personal interpretation.

To create a solid foundation for delivering these principles, learning materials should:

Present content.

Guide the learner in practice.

Provide for independent practice by the learner.

Assess how well the learner is doing.

And be supported by interactivity between learner and program, and the motivation of the learner.

Skilled instructional designers know that the learning content shouldn't become secondary to the technology that delivers it. They also activate prior learning, demonstrate what's new, give learners opportunities to apply their new learning, and integrate current with previous learning.

In my previous post, I introduced Frank Troha 's eight-question approach to ID. Now let's look at some more models.

1. Robert Gagné 's nine instructional events, or steps, outline the processes needed for effective learning:

Gain attention.

Inform learner of objectives.

Stimulate recall of prior learning.

Present stimulus material.

Provide learner guidance.

Elicit performance.

Provide feedback.

Assess performance.

Enhance retention and transfer.

They highlight that the transfer of learning is key to delivering a return on investment (ROI) and to producing an improvement in performance. Gagné provides a way of mapping the logical flow of information - but using these steps rigidly will bore learners.

2. In the "Learn and apply" model, anyone can join in at the "apply and try" stage. They continue only if they get it wrong. This helps maximize the ROI from learning, because not everyone has to study the entire learning program.

3. Roger Schank 's goal-based learning is an immersive approach based on the principle of "learning by failure." It focuses on critical mistakes and works with a range of content types, including case-based simulations. The designer produces a scenario and allows the learner to make a mistake. The learner can't continue with the program before receiving tutoring or mentoring. When he or she goes back, he hopefully doesn't make the same mistake again, and so progresses through the scenario. This approach works well for independent learners and can provide a quick way to gain learning, since the learner is only checked when he makes a mistake.

4. The work of Robert Mager and Peter Pipe, along with the Dick & Carey model, is based on the view that the purpose of learning depends on the context but that what makes people perform can be summed up by five verbs:
* "I know" what to do.
* "I have" what I need to do it.
* "I may" - or "I have authority to do it."
* "I will" - or "I want to do it."
* "I can" do it.

By breaking down instruction into smaller components, you target the specific skills and knowledge to be taught and aim to supply the optimum conditions and resources for learning these outcomes. The model builds on the idea that there's a predictable and reliable link between a stimulus - learning materials - and the response that it produces in a learner. It presumes that learning is based on mastering a set of predictable and reliable behaviors.

5. There's also a hybrid ID model - based on the work of Gagné and Malcolm Knowles - and known by the mnemonic PETER HASSLE:

Prepare - remembering that getting people prepared and motivated to learn can happen outside of a formal learning program.

Engage - remembering that the one thing that bores learners is learning content that's too "low level."

Tutor.

Explore - remembering that learners need to try out things for themselves.

Review, and, for online learning:

Help.

Assess.

Study.

Share.

Learn.

Enter.

Frank Troha comments, "Gagné's nine steps don't address the bigger picture of ID, such as identifying the objectives, outlining the content based on the objectives, selecting the most appropriate media, developing the evaluation strategy, and so on. But you should keep Gagné's events in mind when focusing on what the course will entail - from introduction to conclusion and follow-up after the course.

"The steps work well for classroom-delivered learning. Yet, they can also work for online learning - even if everyone who applies these nine instructional events won't necessarily turn out effective learning. ID is both a science and an art - and the artistic aspect of it involves knowing the difference between weaving a tapestry and simply tying knots in a rope.

"I tend to incorporate Gagné's nine events because Gagné is all about adding value. Malcolm Knowles has done a wonderful job of explaining the principles of adult learning. The approaches taken by other learning experts have their place. What the good instructional designer uses is drawn from a knowledge of all that's in the well - but nearly everything I design reflects Gagné to a greater extent than the others."

The head of digital learning at Telefónica UK, Asi DeGani, says, "Instructional designers should treat the different models they rely on in the same way that a tradesman treats his tools. Not only should they select the right tool for the job but, at times, more than one tool is needed to complete a job successfully - and some tools become irrelevant as others supersede them.

"Technology continually offers us new ways of engaging and interacting with the learners. We must base what we're building on sound psychological and learning principles - the constructivist approach being a great example of these. Having selected the models, they must be used in a way that's relevant to the learners and their context. Obviously this needs to be done with 'real' models. Ones which haven't been validated can cause real damage to the design process."

Former head of instructional design at Tata Interactive Systems, and now its head of L&D, Dr Shwetaleena Bidyadhar picks up on the technological aspects of ID. "Once upon a time, when work and the world of learning were stable, classical ID theories were applied and certification programs/curricula designed. This is still relevant for professional courses or academic degrees but, in the corporate world, we cater for learners who're interested in 'just-in-time' information that fulfils their immediate need. Add to this the millennial generation with their 90-second attention spans. So, content accessibility becomes ever more critical in this rapidly changing world - necessitating greater emphasis on user experience from a design point of view.

"Well-designed learning now has to deal with smaller screens and shorter attention spans. It must present key concepts in easily digestible, 'device-agnostic' knowledge chunks. In this landscape, designers of online learning must exploit the possibilities of technology to transform their learning solutions into engaging formats."
Which model do you find most helpful in designing learning materials? Share your thoughts below.

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L&D Blog " Principles of Instructional Design

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Many models of ID exist, from Robert Gagne's nine events to Frank Troha's eight questions, but all can deliver three key psychological principles. ©iStockphoto/Rikke68 Instructional design (ID) is based on three psychological principles of learning: behavioral, cognitive and constructivist. Behavioral psychology advocates repetition and reinforcement in learning material to create a "behavior" in the learner.

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“instructional design is intended to be an iterative process of planning outcomes, selecting effective strategies for teaching and leaning, choosing relevant technologies, identifying educational media and measuring performance”

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An instructional design model provides guidelines to organize appropriate pedagogical scenarios to achieve instructional goals. Instructional design can be defined as the practice of creating instructional experiences to help facilitate learning most effectively. Driscoll & Carliner (2005) states that " design is more than a process; that process, and resulting product, represent a framework of thinking" (p. 9).

Instructional design models describe how to conduct the various steps. These steps involve instructional design process. The models help trainers and educators to guide and plan the overall process.

Branch & Kopcha say that "instructional design is intended to be an iterative process of planning outcomes, selecting effective strategies for teaching and learning, choosing relevant technologies, identifying educational media and measuring performance" (p. 77).

There are numerous instructional design models. These are commonly accepted design models:

Characteristics of Instructional Design Models

According to Branch and Merrill (2002), there are several characteristics that should be present in all instructional design models:

1. Instructional design is learner-centered: Learner and his/her performance are the focal points.

2. Instructional design is goal-oriented: Well-defined goals are essential.

3. Instructional design focuses on real-world performance. Help learners perform the behaviors that will be expected of them in the real world.

4. Instructional design focuses on outcomes that can be measured in a reliable and valid way. Creating valid and reliable measurement instruments is essential.

5. Instructional design is empirical. Data are the heart of the process.

6. Instructional design typically is a team effort. This process usually involves teamwork.

References:
Gustafson, K. L., & Branch, R. M. (2002). What is instructional design? Trends and issues in instructional design and technology, 16-25.

Branch, R. M., & Kopcha, T. J. (2014). Instructional design models. In Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (pp. 77-87). Springer New York.

Driscoll, M., Carliner, S. (2005) Advanced Web-Based Training: Adapting Real World Strategies in Your Online Learning, Pfeiffer. ISBN 0787969796

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Instructional Design Models and Theories - Educational Technology

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An instructional design model provides guidelines to organize appropriate pedagogical scenarios to achieve instructional goals. Instructional design can

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No narration but quite inspirational nevertheless...

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The term 'Understanding by Design' was new to me...

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Technology is now a focal point for how students learn. This is especially true with online learning, one of the fastest growing segments in higher education. Eduventures reports that 3.5 million students enrolled in online degree programs in 2016 and projects an increase to 5 million by 2020.

These changes point to the need for a learning experience that reaches students in all environments. The instructional design field could be the solution.

Defining Instructional Design

Instructional design refers to the systematic process for designing, developing and delivering instructional materials. It centers on improving learning through technology, and can involve related terms such as learning experience design, instructional systems design and educational technology.

According to design studio and strategy consulting firm Intentional Futures, most instructional designers have the following categories of responsibilities:

Design instructional materials and courses, especially for digital delivery.

Manage faculty, administration, IT and other instructional designers to enhance student learning.

Train faculty to use technology and implement pedagogy effectively.

Support faculty members when they face technical or instructional challenges.

4 Instructional Design Models

The following models are used by some instructional designers.

1. Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE)

The ADDIE model is a flexible and common instructional design model. " Most of the current instructional design models are spin-offs or variations of the ADDIE model," according to educational technology experts Greg Kearsley and Richard Culatta at InstructionalDesign.org. There are five phases in the ADDIE model.

Analysis: Establish instructional goals and objectives. Other topics include the audience, delivery options, pedagogical considerations and the timeline.

Design: Document the strategy, apply instructional strategies, create storyboards, design the user interface and user experience, create prototypes and apply visual or graphic design.

Development: Create and assemble the content assets that are created in the design phase.

Implementation: Deliver the course and its equipment, such as multimedia needs and the website. Develop a process for training the facilitators and the learners.

Evaluation: Measure whether the course provides the expected results.

An important part to the ADDIE model is continual or formative feedback. Throughout each phase, the model stresses the role of feedback in catching problems while they are still easy to fix, which can save time and money.

2. Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles that gives all individuals an equal opportunity to learn. "UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone -not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs," says the National Center on Universal Design for Learning.

UDL is based on the following guidelines.

Engagement (the why of learning): For purposeful, motivated learners, provide options and encourage effort, persistence and self-regulation.

Representation (the what of learning): For resourceful, knowledgeable learners, present information and content in different ways.

Action and Expression (the how of learning): For strategic, goal-directed learners, differentiate the ways that students can express what they know.

3. Master Course Philosophy

A Master Course Philosophy is an online curriculum management approach for institutions, which centers on maintaining one master copy of each online course. Each time a course is taught, the master course is duplicated and used as a template.

Using a master course maintains course integrity, regardless of who teaches it. It helps ensure that courses reflect the most recent updates to an institution's curriculum. "The Master Course Philosophy results in a customizable, consistent and accessible course each time," says Tyler Hart, Senior Instructional Designer for Southeastern University.

Another benefit of the Master Course Philosophy is that it aids in curricular improvement. This strategy allows institutions to successfully report on student achievement, and produce valid and reliable data. The Master Course Philosophy eliminates variations in course outcomes and assessments from teacher to teacher and from term to term.

4. Understanding by Design

Understanding by Design (UbD) is a framework for improving student achievement. It was created by educators Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, and published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. The framework utilizes backward design, in which outcomes are analyzed to design curriculum units, performance assessments and classroom instruction. UbD is based on seven key tenets.

1. Learning is enhanced when teachers think purposefully about curricular planning.

2. Curriculum and teaching focus on developing student understanding and transfer of learning.

3. Understanding is revealed when students autonomously make sense of and transfer their learning through authentic performance. "Six facets" help teachers better assess student understanding: the capacity to explain, interpret, apply, shift perspective, empathize and self-assess.

4. Effective curriculum development reflects a three-stage "backward" design process (Desired Results, Evidence and Learning Plan). This avoids the common problems of using the textbook as curriculum rather than a resource, or activity-oriented teaching that doesn't involve clear priorities and purposes.

5. Teachers are coaches of understanding who focus on ensuring that learning happens.

6. Regularly reviewing units and curriculum against design standards enhances curricular quality and effectiveness, and provides engaging and professional discussions.

7. The UbD framework reflects a continual improvement approach to student achievement and teacher craft.

Professional Development

As a result of the expansion of educational technology and online learning, instructional designers are needed to fulfill the demand for a more rigorous learning experience. There are at least 13,000 instructional designers in the United States alone, according to Intentional Futures, and 87 percent have a master's degree. Seventy-two percent have a master's title related to education.

Southeastern University's online graduate programs in education prepare students for advancement and new career opportunities inside and outside the classroom. Master's degree programs and a Doctor of Education degree are available fully online, allowing educators to study while maintaining their current work and personal schedule.

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4 Instructional Design Models | Southeastern University

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Technology is now a focal point for how students learn. This is especially true with online learning, one of the fastest growing segments in higher education. Eduventures reports that 3.5 million students enrolled in online degree programs in 2016 and projects an increase to 5 million by 2020.