Janet Walters

 

Theories and Factors That Affect Student Learning

 

Learner factors that may impact learner-centered instruction.
Analyzing the student learners is a means to identify the learner characteristics that will likely impact the process and outcomes of the learning experience.

Factors

Description

Advantage or Constraint

Initial Ideas for Maximizing Positive Factors or Minimizing Negative Factors

Age

30

+

 

The teacher is enthusiastic and anxious to master technology integration since she sees technology integration as a skill she needs in her career.

Sex

female

+

 

She will be comfortable working with me.

Skill Level

 

Bachelor’s degree in elementary education

+

 

She got some training in technology education in college.

Teaching experience

Five years

+

 

She has attended several technology integration workshops and will have a clear vision about what she wants to accomplish.

Disability or Impairment

none

+

 

She will experience no special learning problems.

Attitude toward Subject

enthusiastic

+

 

She will be very open-minded to the project and anxious to build on the experience.

Stage of Integration

Has not gone beyond word processing

 

-

Her technology skills are limited, but she realizes she needs to expand on her skills

Perception of Role as Student

Very willing learner

+

 

She will be very interested in the project and will use the skills in the future.

Motivation for Learning

She wants to grow in her profession.

+

 

She has high concern for the achievement of her students.

Competitiveness

Very competitive

+

 

She is very proud of her students’ achievement on standardized tests and sees technology integration as a tool to continue that success.

Environment factors that may impact learner-centered instruction.
Analyzing the environment is a means to identify the issues that will impact the (a) process of the design and production, (b) implementation, and (c) outcomes of the learning experience

Factors

Description

Advantage or Constraint

Initial Ideas for Maximizing Positive Factors or Minimizing Negative Factors

Design and Production Factors:

Budget Available

There will be no cost for the project.

+

 

The teacher will see the activity as one that can be done without expenditure.

Materials Required

paper for the printer

+

 

The teacher will see the activity as one that can be done without expenditure

Production Equipment Available

computer for each student and printer

+

 

The teacher will need to use the lab in the technology center, but it is only steps away from her classroom.

Time for Design and Production

2 or 3 hours

+

 

The teacher will use the project as a language arts assignment.

Department Technology Requirements

The technology director will facilitate with the posting of a web page and a video.

+

 

The technology director is anxious for the elementary teachers to catch up with the technology skills of the high school teachers.

Implementation Factors:

Class Size

20 students

+

 

Lab will accommodate 20 students.

Class Period Length

one hour

+

 

I will teach each new skill on a separate day so students can practice the skill before going on to the next one.

Location

Instruction will take place in the classroom and in the lab.

+

 

The teacher computer is connected to a large monitor mounted on the wall.  From that computer, I will teach the concepts.  The students will use the skills in the lab.

Seating Arrangement

typical classroom and lab

+

 

Students will have an orderly environment for learning.

Lighting

adequate

+

 

 

Temperature

comfortable

+

 

 

Noise

minimal

+

 

 

Equipment

in good condition

+

 

Students should have few technical problems.

Technology Support

The technology director is aware of the project and will be available for assistance.

+

 

I will have technical assistance if I experience any problems.

Outcome Factors:

State Requirements

The project will meet the technology applications TEKS requirements.

+

 

The teacher is anxious to meet the TEKS requirements.

Employer Needs

The administration wants elementary teachers to make use of the 8 computers in each elementary classroom.

+

 

The teacher wants to use the 8 classroom computers for activities other than drill.

Co-worker Needs

The teacher can serve as mentor to her peers as she develops new technology integration skills.

+

 

Other elementary teachers need the same skills.

Student Needs

The students need to have better mastery of tables and graphs.

+

 

The teacher sees the project as a way to help students raise achievement on the TAKS reading test.

 

Content factors that may impact learner-centered instruction.
Analyzing the content is a means to identify in general terms the topics to be addressed in your course and to analyze these topics in terms of the requisite sub-topics, and degree of learning difficulty

Main Topics

Sub-Topics (What Is Involved In Learning Each Main Topic?)

Readiness To Learn (Prerequisites Mastered)

Degree of Learning Difficulty (Real / Imagined)

Possible Instructional Strategies to Reduce or Manage Learning Difficulty

1collaboration skills

1. working in groups

2. choosing a spokesperson

have done a little group work

low difficulty

I will explain the topic of discussion and give specific directions about what I want the groups to accomplish.

2 composition organization

1.  choosing a focus for the composition

2.  paragraph development

have done a lot of writing

low difficulty

I will use the white board to help them organize the compositions.

3 accessing a web page

1. using the Internet

have done some research on the Internet

low difficulty

I will provide the web address.

4 importing an image from a web page

1.  learning how to copy and paste from a web page

2.  learning how to format a graphic image in a document

have not done this skill

medium difficulty

I will demonstrate and have several students demonstrate with the teacher computer.

5 creating a table

1.  learning how to format a table

2.  learning how to add data to a table

have not done this skill

high difficulty

I will demonstrate this skill and will have several video students available to provide one-on-one assistance in the lab.

6 creating a graph

1.  learning how to use Excel

2.  learning how to format a graph

have not done this skill

high difficulty

I will demonstrate this skill and will have several video students available to provide one-on-one assistance in the lab.