Develop and Teach (Field-test) a Learning Cycle

This is a description of the learning cycle project assignment. The preservice teacher will develop a learning cycle (LC) according to the 5 Es model that targets a several of the WVCSOs in science. The LC contains these sequential components: engagement, exploration, explanation elaboration, and evaluation. In the Educ 440 course, the evaluation phase (the fifth phase) of the learning cycle is developed and graded separately as the Authentic Assessment assignment. Therefore, the LC draft and final version that you submit will not contain the procedures for the evaluation phase, because you are developing and submitting that separately as the Authentic Assessment assignment. The first four phases (engagement through elaboration) of the LC require at least 2 and usually 3 class periods to teach. In "counting" lessons for the practicum (EDUC 411), 1 class period constitutes 1 lesson. Thus, teaching the LC will usually count for 3 lessons in the practicum. The specific components and timeline are outlined below.

(a) Determine Topic: No later than February 4 , determine with host teacher the topic & CSOs for LC. Post to E-Campus a message that states the topic of your learning cycle (type the title or topic in the "subject" box and type in the message 1-2 sentences that briefly describes your topic).


(b) Develop and Post Draft and Associated Concept Map (10 points): No later than March 4 , post to E-Campus (Learning Cycle Drafts discussion folder) a message that provides a brief summary of your LC and at least 3 questions that you want specific feedback on from the reviewer. Your questions must be specific: "What do you think about my __________ phase" is not specific. To your message, attach a full draft (as a Rich Text File) of the LC along with a concept map (as an image file--.jpeg or .gif formats are fine, but not bitmap) that shows key understandings that you hope to develop in children through teaching the learning cycle. Use the Learning Cycle Rubric (link provided below) to develop your draft. Your draft should contain all 13 components/dimensions shown in the left hand column of the Learning Cycle Rubric, and each component should be relatively complete. An example of a completed 5-phase learning cycle and respective concept map also are provided below. Make sure also to read and follow the "guidance on making a concept map" provided below.

LEARNING CYCLE RUBRIC. Use this rubric to develop your draft. This rubric will be used by a colleague to help review your draft and by your instructor to grade your field-test ready version. Note that for grading purposes, some of the items are weighted.

EXAMPLE 5-PHASE LEARNING CYCLE. This is an example of a 5-E learning cycle on "Causes and Effects of Flooding" that was developed by a preservice teacher previously enrolled in this course. The example provided is the field-test ready version. The example was developed using an earlier version of the Learning Cycle rubric, so there is not 1:1 correspondence to the rubric. However, this example is overall an excellent example of what is expected for each of the phases of the learning cycle. Your draft will not be as polished as this field-test ready version, but it does need to contain all of the dimensions listed on the Rubric and each dimension should be pretty well developed. Drafts that are not relatively complete will earn few of the 10 points.

EXAMPLE CONCEPT MAP. Here is the concept map (as an image file) that the preservice teacher developed for the example learning cycle on Causes and Effects of Flooding, which shows the understandings that she hoped to develop in children through teaching this learning cycle.


(c) Review Colleague's Draft (20 points): By March 7, each preservice teacher reviews the LC draft of the colleague to whom they have been assigned, submits comments privately via eCampus Mail to the colleague, and cc:s the instructor. The review must be substantive and address in some detail the developers 3 questions: A review limited to a few sentences will earn few to no points. Please review the entire learning cycle and pay special attention to the questions on which your colleague is asking for specific feedback. Be constructive and provide your colleague with ideas. If you wish, you may use the "comments" function within Microsoft Word to provide comments on particular aspects of the draft, and you may type at the end of the draft the answers to your colleagues 3 questions.


(d) Finish Developing, Obtain Approval to Teach, and Hand In Hard Copy of "Field-Test Ready" LC (100 points). By March 14 , finish developing the "field-test ready" version of your LC; obtain written approval from host teacher to teach LC, and hand in printed copy of LC (with concept map) and approval to instructor for grading. (Approval also can be emailed to instructors by host teachers to instructors). Make sure to do a "quality assurance" check against the Learning Cycle Rubric before you turn it in.


(e) Field-test LC. During the time period of March 14 to April 15 , complete the field-testing of LC. (Note: Please remember that the evaluation phase of your learning cycle is developed and graded separately as the Authentic Assessment assignment. You will have to administer the authentic assessment no later than April 22 (and, ideally, on an earlier date) If you like, you also may post to the E-Campus LC discussion folder the authentic assessment task and rubric (but not the students' works). Post this by replying to your own LC posting.


Last revised: 2/24/11

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