World History Hybrid Course PILOT- Units 1 and 2

Students and Teachers Pre-and-Post Surveys and Online Comments

Kavita Mittapallikmittapalli@gmail.com

MN Associates, Inc.February 1, 2011

Arroyo Research Services

*Overview of Data Collection ActivitiesGoogle documents - 56 responses (majority students; 1-2 teachers); 4 counties completedPre and Post Surveys- Teachers - total responses - 10 and 6, respectively; 7 counties completedPre and Post Surveys- Students- total responses- 135 and 77, respectively (as of Jan 5th); 5 counties completedSurveyMonkey site was kept open for up to 3 weeks3 reminder emails were sent to non-respondentsWinter holidays and late start of pilot in some LEAs caused delays in completion.

*Data analysesDescriptives and frequencies- demographic questions and questions related technology usage and knowledge and its applications in learning WH (pre) and Level of Satisfaction with Units , Role of technology in teaching WH, and Student engagement (post). Paired t-tests- significant mean differences in the pre-and post student surveys regarding technology usage and integration, knowledge of WH before and after browsing the units, and comfort levels of technology implementation at work and classrooms. CaveatLow and uneven response rate for the pre-and-post surveys. No pre and post test done for teachers surveys (small and uneven sample)Students worked at their own pace. Classroom environment and teachers level of instruction/facilitation greatly varied across the responding LEAs.Pilots conducted in a non-controlled environment and context per LEA/classroom not taken into account The results should be considered exploratory and may not be conclusive or generalizable across the LEAs.

TeachersPre- and Post Surveys*

*Findings Demographics and General questions

Pre-surveyAvg. about 15 years of teaching experience Majority have a Masters degree 7 out of 10 had not taken an online course before. Those who had taken a course have attended lectures, discussion forum, reflections, and have completed assignments7 out of 10 had not taught an online OR a hybrid course 80% are in the high intermediate range of technology proficiency and frequently use technology mainly for professional productivity (research, class materials, etc)

*Challenges using technology to teach WH (pre-survey contd)Having technology that worksLimited access: Current funding tends to allow 1 computer for every 4 or 5 students. Many students do not have computers & internet access at home.Compared to other content areas, there seems to be a lack of materials that are dedicated to world history curricula. The level of technological proficiency that students have is lacking. They can perform basic Google searches and use basic functions of Word and Powerpoint, but their skills with productive software seem very limited. Limited ability for linking creativity and the content. Having students who have a wide range of technological abilities.Reliability of wireless network at school

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PREAgreePREStrongly AgreePOSTAgreePOSTStrongly AgreeI feel comfortable using technology to learn WH11%78%33%67%Technology can help teachers address the diverse learning needs of students in WH.64%27%67%17%Using technology in instruction can increase students motivation and enthusiasm about learning WH.63%25%50%33%Use of technology and online resources can enhance a teachers understanding of the WH unit/s29%0%33%33%Use of technology and online resources can enhance a students' understanding of the unit/s56%22%67%17%Using technology in the classroom with students can increase overall student scores in WH.33%11%50%17%Using technology in the classroom with students can improve motivation of students to learn WH.58%25%50%33%

*Post- Units 1 and 2 (n=6)- Quality of Content in the Units

Unit 1AgreeStrongly AgreeUnit 2AgreeStrongly AgreeThe pace of the unit was appropriate67%17%67%17%Unit course material was relevant0%50%67%33.3%The length and detail of each section was appropriate33.3%(50% Neither)17%33.3%17%The unit is sufficiently differentiated50%33.3% Neither)0%33.3%(50% Neither)0%The unit was well organized50%33.3%67%17%Presentation (layout, style, and format) of the material60%40%75%25%Material was conducive to learning the unit goals and objectives50%17%50%17%

*Post- Units 1 and 2 (n=6)- Quality of Content in the Units Contd

Unit 1AgreeStrongly AgreeUnit 2AgreeStrongly AgreeAssessments were related to the material covered50%33.3%50%17%The type and number of activities per unit was adequate The reading level of the units was adequate for my students50%17%33%(50% - Disagree)17%

StudentsPre- and Post Surveys*

DemographicsMajority females (more than 50%)Majority in Grade 11 (63%)Majority have not taken an online course (92%) (those who have- financial literacy, Ap Psychology, History, Government and English, HAS, Microsoft Professional)Readings, Discussion forum, and AssignmentsMajority Intermediate Ability in using technology (59%); High/Advanced (35%)Majority use technology frequently 45%, Very frequently 29%*

Qualities in a Social Studies teacher you liked/learned a lotMade learning funMany activitiesGroup workPassionate and knowledgeable about the subjectClass projects to explain a topic areaTold storiesLittle homeworkCreativeUsed worksheets to teach yourselfPositive attitude*

Biggest Challenge with the Content of World HistoryKeeping the events in order; hard to rememberFinding a usage of WH in real lifeTests and QuizzesHard to pay attention in class to WHNot challenging enoughToo much memorizationVocabulary

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Expectations from this online learning experienceThat it would be exciting and interestingNoneHelp me understand betterTo learn about different culturesGrab my attention to learn WHMaybe more updated from the lessonsVisual approach may help me learn more and retain betterTo learn and advance my knowledge of WHLearn at my own pace

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*Post- Units 1 and 2 (n=77)- Level of Satisfaction with Units

Unit 1AgreeStrongly AgreeUnit 2AgreeStrongly AgreeThe pace of the unit was appropriate51%8%50%(28% Neither)9%Unit course material was relevant57%9%53%5%The length and detail of each section was appropriate48%12%47%9%The unit is sufficiently differentiated56%4%52%3%The unit was well organized58%4%59%12%Presentation (layout, style, and format) of the material57%10%57%7%Level of assessments51%8%51%7%

*Post- Units 1 and 2 (n=77)- Level of Satisfaction with Units Contd

Unit 1AgreeStrongly AgreeUnit 2AgreeStrongly AgreeFrequency of assessments48%9%49%9%

Overall satisfaction with the unit57%7%53%9%

*Post- Units 1 and 2 (n=77)- Online format has changed/enhanced my knowledge in WH

Unit 1AgreeStrongly AgreeUnit 2AgreeStrongly AgreeUnderstanding the concepts57%10%53%19%Actively engaging me53%7%47%19%Reflecting on the topics67%3%51%12%Incorporating strategies to my understanding and learning54%7%53%11%Providing/sharing thoughts and online resources with fellow students50%7%56%7%Continually evaluate and reflect on my learning53%8%49%10%

Online Learning, Use of Technology, and World History*

AgreeStrongly AgreeI feel comfortable using technology along with classroom instruction53%19%I feel comfortable learning using technology with classroom instruction47%19%Online learning can help students address their diverse learning needs51%12%Using technology in World History instruction in a classroom may increase my motivation and enthusiasm about learning WH.53%11%Using online mode of instruction can improve and enhance my understanding of Units 1 and 2 in WH.56%7%Using technology with classroom instruction can increase my achievement in social studies.49%10%

Paired- t-testThere were significant differences (p

*Narratives- Google Documents (Teachers)Utility of the Historical Thinking Skills Graphic Organizer- include sources that have markedly different accounts of the same event, which would require students to think critically about the multiple perspective, bias, and credibility aspects of historical thinking. All things considered, I think that this is a great lesson.A way to view the PowerPoint in full screen mode.

*Narratives- Teachers Positive aspects of the course- Comments were related to the overall format, layout and content, resources and organization of the material, and usefulness of the course in classroom instruction. A majority of the respondents appreciated the fact that students could work on the modules at their own pace and were able to collaborate with team members on some of the assignments.

*SpecificallyIn what ways do you think you could use, if at all, the content/s of the units to teach in your classroom? andOverall satisfaction with the Units

Could use pieces from the Units.Varying student technology proficiency levels affected technology usage in WH course Material too basic for the grade- had to infuse the online curriculum with a number of extra activities to ensure student learning.Material overall pretty good, May need to modify at her school since WH is taught at junior levelFalls short in practice; needs organizationLiked the course navigator- took some time getting used toNeed more interactive activities; more differentiated instruction within the unitsLiked that it was self-paced; content was in-depth; definitions handyOverall presentation was good

*Briefly describe any changes you would make to this unit (e.g., layout, content, style, format, presentation).

Students had trouble with the map always coming up. It did not show on some of the computers.Add extension materials for honors-level courses or for students who work quickly. Some interactives are short and therefore create a bit of a "jump" between activities that some students may struggle to follow.Adding activities that are not paper and pencil, as well as more quick check for understanding interactive assessments. Scavenger hunt type of interactive activity .I would like to see more of the "color" of history. i.e. the anecdotal stories, the human element, personal stories, the stuff that is not in the textbook.A wider variety of types of activities needs to be made available. The content needs to be deeper and more historically enriched. Pacing needs to be addressed. Certain topics were given too much attention while other topics were not addressed sufficiently.

*StudentsStrengths and Other general comments:Own paceGreat visuals and photos to teach WH conceptsKeeps my attention- liked itInteraction keeps our interestLiked the reflection piece- helps us to relateGreat detailsLot of information in a short period of time. Learned a lotBoringDont like WHNo difference between online and classroom instruction

Next StepsContent edits as suggested by teachers and studentsMake units and lessons more interactive and engagingDifferentiated instructionWays to improve response rates (reminders to supervisors)Tighter deadlines for completionPilot next Units in 3-4 LEAs- More rigorous selection of schools and classrooms- Comparison across LEAs, Schools, and Classrooms

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*Questions/Comments

Suggestions