“Varying Instruction With An On-Line Lesson for Principles of Macroeconomics”

1. “Varying Instruction With An On-Line Lesson for Principles of Macroeconomics” Developed By: Dr. Robert Pennington Ms. Barbara Moore University of Central Florida

2. Introduction • The purpose of participating in the Summer, 2002 FCTL Institute is for the team to develop an on-line lesson for our Principles of Macroeconomics course. Another purpose is to interact with other faculty interested in improving their courses and teaching. We plan to accomplish the skills necessary to add an on-line lesson to the courses we teach. University of Central Florida

3. The Setting • My team member and myself teach a traditional face-to-face lecture class with electronic enhancement. One of the sections has 295 students the remainder of the sections have 75 students. All of the course management, grades, etc are contained on WebCT. The on-line lesson developed during the Summer Institute will be an enhancement for the students and another method of learning in the class. University of Central Florida

4. Learning Problems and Goals • The first and foremost obstacle we foresee for the students is the ability to use WebCT to their advantage. During the first week of class an activity is on WebCT for the students to access and complete. This activity will allow the students to become comfortable with WebCT and email the professor any questions or problems they might be having. The major obstacle with the development of the on-line lesson is the fact that the students will be working on-line on Monday, July 8, 2002 rather than attending class. This might be the first time some students will have this opportunity. On Tuesday, July 9, 2002 we will debrief the lesson with the students and find out where the problems with the lesson exist. • Our goals for the Institute include being able to begin the on-line lesson and then use the next two weeks to complete the lesson. Another goal of the Institute is to attend sessions in which professors are using on-line lessons and learn about the problems and successes associated with this type of lesson. During the Institute we plan to attend as many “technology” sessions as possible to make ourselves more comfortable with the new technologies that we incorporate into the class. University of Central Florida

5. Learning Problems and Goals • Specific goals for the course include: an additional lesson format for students to complete and have another type of learning experience (the on-line lesson, hopefully will improve attendance for Monday, July 8, 2002, typically a low attendance day due to July 4 holiday); professors will have learned the skills to present a lesson in a new type of format; engage all students in the concepts within the lesson; compel students to participate due to the on-line format; development of professor confidence to develop more on-line lessons in the future; and provide an opportunity for professors to evaluate what works in an on-line environment. University of Central Florida

6. Creating the Learning Environment • Currently use WebCT for grades, announcements, quizzes and exams. Developing and incorporating an on-line lesson for the the Summer B sections that we teach. The learning environment will assist students with the development of a comfort zone in completing the on-line lesson. The incentive is the lesson will take place on Monday, July 8, 2002 rather than the regular class session. The lesson will be open from Thursday, July 4, 2002 – 11:55 p.m. Monday, July 8, 2002—allowing a longer time to complete the lesson and the ability to take an extended Fourth of July holiday. University of Central Florida

7. Outcomes • Expect the students to become more engaged in their learning. An interactive lesson for students to engage in to learn the concepts associated with Chapter 10. Participation in the class should be more than in the past due to the fact that the lesson is on-line rather than in the classroom. Improved attendance (participation in lesson) because the Monday after July 4 holiday attendance is traditionally low, students will have the opportunity to learn on-line rather than attend class. University of Central Florida

8. The projected outcomes • Include more engaged students • Better attendance (on-line) • More participation University of Central Florida

9. Implementation • Access to a computer will be required of all students. All students have access to computers on campus and many students have access off-campus. The lesson will be open from 1:00 a.m. Thursday, July 4, 2002 through 11:55 p.m. Monday, July 8, 2002 which will give students ample opportunity to access the lesson and complete the lesson, even if they are not on campus. University of Central Florida

10. Implementation - Projected • Implementation projected to be 1:00 a.m. Thursday, July 4, 2002 – Monday, July 8, 2002 University of Central Florida

11. Conclusion • The 2002 Summer Institute had many sessions demonstrating the design and implementation of on-line lessons professors are using in their classes. The many presentations showing how participants are using WebCT and on-line lessons has given us the knowledge and skills we need to develop the on-line lesson for summer B 2002. The institute also demonstrated that the goals we desire to accomplish are attainable University of Central Florida

12. Attachments, links, etc. • The attachment is part of the lesson which provides the students the objectives for the lesson and then a pre-test University of Central Florida