Using Anchored Instruction in Inservice Teacher Education

Transcription

1 Using Anchored Instruction in Inservice Teacher Education Donna Baumbach University of Central Florida Sally Brewer University of Central Florida Mary Bird University of Central Florida Although the framework of anchored instruction, developed by the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (CTGV), can be used in almost any content area, educational technology instructors are finding it to be extremely effective when teaching students how to use a variety of technology tools (Bauer, Ellefson & Hall, 1994). This approach can be defined as an attempt to help students become actively engaged in learning by situating, or anchoring, instruction in interesting and realistic problem solving environments. The first part of this paper will provide background information about anchored instruction, describe it in some detail, and discuss some of its applications. The second part will describe how the Instructional Technology Resource Center at the University of Central Florida has adapted it to instruct inservice teachers to use a wide variety of advanced multimedia components. The rationale behind the decision to move to this approach will also be discussed. Background One goal of the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt's Learning Technology Center is to help students develop the confidence, skills, and knowledge necessary to solve problems and become independent thinkers and learners (Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt [CTGV], 1990). Most of the education reform literature centers around the failure of traditional instruction to accomplish this goal. The concerns about traditional approaches to instruction have been influenced in part by Whitehead's (1929) discussion of what he termed "inert knowledge." Inert knowledge is the knowledge that can usually be recalled when people are explicitly asked to do so, but is not used spontaneously in problem solving even though it is relevant. The Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (CTGV) drew heavily on other early educators. John Dewey, for example, stressed that when people learn new information in the context of meaningful activities, they are more likely to perceive the new information as a tool rather than as an arbitrary set of procedures or facts. Meaningful, problem-oriented approaches to learning are more likely than factoriented approaches to overcome inert knowledge problems (CTGV, 1990). Dewey also discussed the advantages of what he called "theme-based learning," and anchored instruction can be used to foster thematic instruction. Anchored Instruction The major goal of anchored instruction is to overcome the problem of inert knowledge. Creating environments that permit sustained exploration by students and teachers, enables them to understand the 1 of 7 10/12/00 2:31 PM

2 kinds of problems and opportunities that experts in various areas encounter and the knowledge that these experts use as tools (CTGV, 1990). Another goal of anchored instruction is to help students develop representations or mental models of their experiences in order to set the stage for positive transfer (CTGV, 1993). Researchers at Vanderbilt have found that contexts in visual formats and on videodisc provide effective anchors for the following reasons: Visual formats allow students to develop pattern recognition skills. Video allows a more vertical representation of events than text; it is dynamic, visual, and spatial; and students can more easily form rich mental models of the problem solving situations. Videodiscs have random access capabilities; this allows teachers to almost instantly access information for discussion. Stages of Anchored Instruction When using an anchor, the steps or phases of instruction are distinct and sequential, each contributing to the process (Figure 1.) The students are introduced to the anchor in phase one. The anchor might be a video segment which contains a complex problem with embedded data to help solve the problem. In another class, the video content might be rich with information that supports sustained thinking about target concepts or that is needed to comprehend related text and for class discussions. By using a video as an anchor, students and the teacher have a shared learning context (McLarty et al., 1989). In phase two, students develop shared expertise around the anchor. Multiple visits to specific scenes in the anchor will allow students to develop expertise on particular aspects. In this phase, the teacher might lead a discussion of the anchor. However, as their knowledge of the anchor increases, the students might assume more responsibility for their learning. Once the teacher and the students have developed expertise on the anchor, the links across the curriculum and to their prior experiences become a common occurrence within the classroom. The students expand the anchor by conducting their own research in phase three. Gaps in information provided by the anchor might require students to research related materials. In an educational technology class, students might learn new technologies using the anchor for content material. For example, the students might create a HyperStudio stack about one of the topics in the anchor. In phase four, students use their knowledge as tools for problem solving. They might use this knowledge to solve problems posed in the anchor itself or relate the information to problems in other content areas. In this phase, teachers might provide scaffolds to help students solve the problems. For example, teachers who are using the Jasper Woodbury series to teach problem solving and math skills, might encourage the students to determine how to approach the problem and then provide them with the resources necessary to make progress. Students work on projects related to the anchor in phase five. In this phase, students are given the opportunity to extend their knowledge and relate it to other areas. Some examples of this phase might include reading more about the subject, writing a report or an essay, or creating a multimedia report. In phase six, students share what they learned from the project. The process of sharing not only creates 2 of 7 10/12/00 2:31 PM

3 pride in their own work, but also gives them valuable insight into how their classmates solved the problem. At this point the students are encouraged to compare their solutions with the ones on the video and to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Phase One: Introduce the anchor. Phase Two: Develop shared experience around the anchor. Phase Three: Expand the anchor. Phase Four: Use knowledge as tools for problem-solving. Phase Five: Work on projects related to anchor. Phase Six: Share what was learned. Figure 1. Stages of anchored instruction. Once the instructional goals are established, then the anchor can be identified. Prior to teaching with the anchored instruction approach, the teacher must choose an anchor. Anchors should be examined for content and for the amount of structure a teacher must add to the lesson to relate the curricular goals to the anchor. Is the content is too general or too narrow? How much structure will the teacher have to add to the lesson? Does the anchor lend itself to expansion activities? The anchor should provide numerous, rich examples of target concepts that would enable the teacher and students to make links from the movie to multiple contexts across curriculum areas. While the list of considerations for the anchor may be quite lengthy, the critical element in phase one is a clearly articulated set of instructional goals. Advantages of Anchored Instruction There are several advantages to organizing instruction around an anchor and then moving to hands-on activities. First, it provides everyone involved with a common background about the subject. Because it is visual, it is easier for students who are not good readers to participate in class discussions. Teachers often find this approach more manageable than finding all the resources necessary to accomplish a community-based project. Students often focus on an issue from a macro context that was not noticed as a potential issue by other members of the class. Once this issue is noticed, further research can be done on it. Research has found that the use of anchors facilitates communication among students and other community members. For example, anchors can be used to help parents understand what it is like to solve the kinds of complex problems that the students are working on. They might also notice areas where they can supply additional information (CTGV, 1993). Challenges of Anchored Instruction The current emphasis on student-centered instruction means that teachers need to change their role from a "provider of information" to a coach and often a fellow learner. Anchored instruction provides one means to make the shift from a teacher-dominated to a learner-centered classroom. With anchored 3 of 7 10/12/00 2:31 PM

4 instruction, the teacher can no longer follow a fully scripted lesson plan. Students are encouraged to identify their own questions, goals, and issues that arise as they explore the anchors. Since the students construct their own learning, teachers struggle with how to help the students reconceptualize problems without being overly directive. Another challenge for teachers is how and where to fit anchored instruction into their existing curricula and make sure that it meets their needs with respect to mandated achievement testing (CTGV, 1993). Applications of Anchored Instruction This model has been used with students ranging from grades five through college. It has been used in a variety of disciplines: language arts, social studies, math, science, and educational technology. The Cognition and Technology group at Vanderbilt has implemented three projects: the Young Sherlock Holmes project; the Jasper Woodbury series; and the Scientists in Action series. The Young Sherlock Holmes project, organized around a movie on videodisc, was implemented in two 5th grade classrooms. The students were below average and average in academic ability. The project was designed to help the students learn language arts and social studies content by helping students to observe relevant historical information in movie settings and use their observations to make inferences (Risko, Kinzer, Vye, & Rowe, 1990). This study found: The video helped provide motivation and well-defined goals for reading in order to learn. Students in the anchored group are much more likely to use newly targeted vocabulary spontaneously than are those in the comparison group. Advantages of anchored over non-anchored lessons were found on story writing, vocabulary usage, and the acquisition of relevant knowledge of history (CTGV, 1993). The Jasper Woodbury series focuses on mathematical problem formulation and problem solving. It also involves the development of applications that will enable students to learn science, history, and literary concepts. Although the series was designed for fifth and sixth graders, it could be used with fourth graders through college freshmen (CTGV, 1989). An important feature of this series is that information needed to solve the problems is embedded in the story. The embedded data design allows teachers to help students try to generate what they need to know, attempt to retrieve this information from memory, and then review segments of the disc to see if they were accurate (CTGV, 1989). The Jasper series provides examples of problems that occur in everyday life and how they might be solved. The Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt also explored the anchored approach to science instruction in their Scientists in Action series. In another context, The University of Northern Colorado uses this approach in its preservice educational technology course (Bauer, et al., 1994). It was their success in using anchored instruction along with a growing interest in situated learning and perceived weaknesses in existing practices that prompted the writers to explore this alternative approach to inservice education. Anchored Instruction - Theory into Practice in Inservice Teacher Education The University of Central Florida's Multimedia Training, Research and Development Center (MMTRDC) is a well-equipped high-tech facility which provides hands-on training for educators in the use of instructional technology (Baumbach, Bird, & Brewer, 1994). Funded by the Florida Department of 4 of 7 10/12/00 2:31 PM

5 Education and business partners, the MMTRDC offers one and two day workshops in a train-the-trainers format. The basic MMTRDC workshop, "Jumping into Multimedia" provides participants with skills in working with videodiscs: logging images; using the remote control and barcode reader; creating barcodes for videodiscs; integrating barcodes into text documents; and creating interactive hypermedia programs which access the videodisc. When teachers have mastered the skills in this workshop, they may enroll in the advanced multimedia workshop. The Advanced Multimedia Workshop for educators, affectionately known among MMTRDC staff as "Drowning in Multimedia," was developed during the winter and introduced in the spring of This two-day workshop was designed to introduce teachers who were familiar with basic multimedia components, such as computers, videodisc technology and CD-ROMs to more advanced components, such as scanners, video capture, and morphing. Original Approach During the morning of the first day participants were given an overview of multimedia hardware and software. The goal of the workshop was to learn to use these tools and demonstrate these new skills through a multimedia presentation at the end of the second day. A matrix was developed which guided the participants, in groups of three or four, through eight workstations over the course of the two days. In fifty minute rotations, the participants moved through the following workstations: video capture, frame grabbing, morphing, scanning, PowerPoint, PhotoCD, My Media Text Workshop, and HyperStudio. Written instructions guided them through the use of the hardware and software at each station. Participants were told that not all of these multimedia components needed to be included in the final presentation. Some groups, and many individuals within groups, were overwhelmed with these tasks. First, they were learning how to use new hardware and software at each station. Second, they were trying to agree on a presentation topic and sequence which would allow them to demonstrate the application of these new skills. Occasionally group dynamics, and the wide variety of backgrounds and experiences of the participants, made it difficult for the groups to agree upon a topic for their presentation. Too much time was devoted to this aspect of the workshop. During one session, the lead workshop presenter likened the experience to first shooting a bullet and then drawing a target around it. Since this diversity in backgrounds and experiences seemed to be the most common problem, it was decided to change the workshop to provide an "anchored" experience for all the participants, so that the time devoted previously to sorting out these differences could be used for more productive activities. In addition, the new format would provide a model of anchored instruction for these teachers and encourage its use in their own classrooms. Anchored Instruction Approach The goal of the revised Advanced Multimedia workshop, then, was for each group to solve the problem (and subproblems) presented in the anchor and to use multimedia to present the group's solution at the end of the second day of the workshop. In this way, they were provided with a "target" or goal, so that as they moved through the multimedia workstations they could focus on applying their new skills to that specific project. The workshop introduced the anchored instruction approach through the use of a PowerPoint presentation followed by the Jasper Woodbury video scenario, "Rescue at Boone's Meadow." As 5 of 7 10/12/00 2:31 PM

6 mentioned, the Jasper series focuses on mathematical problem formulation and problem solving. The Rescue at Boone's Meadow scenario was chosen because it represented just enough of a mathematical challenge to make the experience realistic for teachers of all subject areas and grade levels without being so difficult that the less mathematically-inclined participants felt overwhelmed with the content. After the video was shown, a large group discussion was generated among the participants to begin the process of analyzing the major problem and identifying the subproblems that the small groups would have to solve. A sample multimedia presentation of a solution to another Jasper scenario was shown. Structurally, the new workshop was similar to the first. Participants were divided into groups of three or four and were guided throughout the two days through a variety of multimedia workstations. Workstations from the earlier workshop that did not directly relate to the problem solving activity were eliminated. Many of the workstations remained the same: video capture, frame grabbing, scanning, and morphing. During these rotations, the groups began capturing and creating images, such as graphics of eagles, ultralight airplanes and other items related to the videodisc scenario, as well as photos and QuickTime movies of themselves that could be used to enhance their presentation. The CD-ROM workstation was expanded to include not only Photo CD, but CD-ROM clip art and music resources as well as an electronic encyclopedia, which was available for use as a reference source if needed for their solution. A paint workstation (Kid Pix) was added to allow the creation of original artwork. A new FIRN (Florida Information Resources Network)/Internet/telecommunications station served two purposes; 1) was sent during the workshop to each group giving hints concerning the solution to the Jasper scenario and 2) participants were instructed in the use of Internet searches to find, retrieve and convert graphics or sound files to enhance their presentation. Three PowerPoint assembly stations were set up for use at any time during the two days rather than at a specific rotation time. This allowed the participants to assemble their graphics and text into a PowerPoint presentation and preview their work as it progressed. Another important addition to the workshop was the use of a brainstorming workstation where the groups could review segments from the Jasper videodisc using barcodes or the remote, discuss their solutions, and plan their presentation. At the end of the second day, each group presented their PowerPoint solution to the Jasper scenario. An example of one group's solution is provided on the CD-ROM edition of this annual as are the handouts for all workstations included in the workshop. Conclusion This has proved to be a successful addition to the growing roster of educational multimedia workshops provided by the UCF/DOE Instructional Technology Resource Center. Over 400 teachers have participated in this workshop in both Macintosh and MS-DOS/Windows formats over the past eighteen months and the participants have consistently rated it high in both content and process. The writers feel the use of the anchor for instruction helped to structure the workshop and to provide a realistic context for the use of multimedia. The goal of the Center is to continue to update this workshop as new and appropriate multimedia technologies become available for the educational market; however, it is certain that a video anchor will remain a part of the instructional framework. Acknowledgments The writers are grateful to the Florida Department of Education and numerous business partners for their support of the UCF/DOE Multimedia Training, Research and Development Center where this work was 6 of 7 10/12/00 2:31 PM

7 developed. We are also indebted to the staff of the Center and the many teachers who have provided feedback on our efforts. References Bauer, J. W., Ellefsen, E. R., & Hall, A.M. (1994). A model for using anchored instruction in preservice educational technology classes. In J. Willis, B. Robin, & D. A. Willis (Eds.), Technology and Teacher Education Annual (pp ). Charlottesville, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. Baumbach, D. J., Bird, M. J., & Brewer, S. M. (1994). Doing more withe Less: A cooperative model that works. In J. Willis, B. Robin, & D. A. Willis (Eds.), Technology and Teacher Education Annual (pp ). Charlottesville, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1993). Anchored instruction and situated cognition revisited. Educational Technology, 33(3), Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1990). Anchored instruction and its relationship to situated cognition. Educational Researcher, 19(6), Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1989). Enhancing learning in at-risk students: Applications of video technology (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED ) McLarty, K., Goodman, J., Risko, V., Kinzer, C., Vye, N., Rowe, D., & Carson, J. (1990). Implementing anchored instruction: Guiding principles for curriculum development. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Reading Conference. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED ) Risko, V., Kinzer, C., Vye, N., & Rowe, D. (1990). Effects of videodisc macrocontexts on comprehension and composition of causally coherent stories. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED ) Whitehead, A. N. (1929). The aims of education. New York: MacMillan. Donna Baumbach is Professor and Director of the Instructional Technology Resource Center and the Multimedia Training, Research and Development Center in the College of Education, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL Phone (407) baumbad@mail.firn.edu. Sally Brewer is Assistant Director of the Instructional Technology Resource Center at the University of Central Florida, College of Education, Orlando, FL Phone (407) brewers@mail.firn.edu. Mary Bird is Associate Director of the Instructional Technology Resource Center at the University of Central Florida, College of Education, Orlando, FL Phone (407) birdm@mail.firn.edu. 7 of 7 10/12/00 2:31 PM