II layer – design, develop, and prototype one task class
5. Improve the skill hierarchy and design the other three components for one class
The task class and skill hierarchy guide the other three components — supportive information, procedural information, and part-time practice. That is why I suggest you now improve the skill hierarchy to make better choices in the future. Remember that you should design and develop these three components for each task class. Again, as the first task class consists of very easy simulations, you could manage to design and develop the other three components. However, if you are not familiar with a field or designing a program for advanced students, you could need a practitioner's help.
Improve the skills hierarchy. You have already started to create your skill hierarchy (not the list of skills) by showing the rations between skills needed to solve a real-life problem. I suggest further steps for improving the skill hierarchy:
- Analyse your real-life problem and redefine skills that are used while solving it (do not go to particular skills)
- Define the relationship between the skills: some skills could always come first and lead to another; some skills could be used simultaneously, whereas the others could be interchangeable.
- Define the types of skills:
- Nonrecurrent — skills that require problem-solving, decision-making, and/or reasoning. These skills cannot be automated, and their use varies depending on a particular context. It will be the basis for choosing the supportive information;
- Recurrent — skills that require an accurate performance under instruction. These skills are always performed in the same fashion, no matter the context. It will be the basis for the procedural information;
- To-be-automated recurrent — skills that needed to be performed automatically. What skills are better to be automated to improve the whole problem-solving? It's okay if you do not have such skills. Sometimes there are no skills that could be automated. It will be the basis for the just-in-time practice;
Consider the nonrecurrent skills and the condition of the first task class and think about the information that will help students with problem-solving. What information could help students improve their thinking about how to solve the problem? What information will allow them to differentiate the problem's surface and structural features?
Design the learning and teaching strategy: How will you organize the students' work with supportive information?
Determine the roles (system, instructors, coaches, mentors, tutors …): Who or what is needed for delivering the supportive information?
Design the timetable: How much time will it be needed to work with supportive information? When will students work with it?
Design the learning and teaching strategy: How will you organize the students' work with supportive information?
Determine the roles (system, instructors, coaches, mentors, tutors …): Who or what is needed for delivering the supportive information?
Design the timetable: How much time will it be needed to work with supportive information? When will students work with it?
Consider recurrent skills and the condition of the first task class and think about the information that will help students while solving the problem. What step-by-step instructions and checklists could be provided to students while solving the problem so they could focus on problem-solving? What information is needed for students to unload their memory from remembering some specific information?
Design the learning and teaching strategy: What will the proceduralinformation look like, and how will it be provided to students?
Determine the roles (system, instructors, coaches, mentors, tutors …): Who or what is needed for delivering the procedural information?
Design the timetable: During which tasks will students be provided with the procedural information?
Design the learning and teaching strategy: What will the proceduralinformation look like, and how will it be provided to students?
Determine the roles (system, instructors, coaches, mentors, tutors …): Who or what is needed for delivering the procedural information?
Design the timetable: During which tasks will students be provided with the procedural information?
Consider to-be-automated skill (if you have so). What exercise can you suggest to students, so they can repeat it until the skill is not automated?
Design the learning and teaching strategy: What will the exercises look like, and how will they be provided to students?
Determine the roles (system, instructors, coaches, mentors, tutors …): Who or what is needed for delivering the part-time practice?
Design the timetable: When will students be able to train the to-be-automated skills?
Design the learning and teaching strategy: What will the exercises look like, and how will they be provided to students?
Determine the roles (system, instructors, coaches, mentors, tutors …): Who or what is needed for delivering the part-time practice?
Design the timetable: When will students be able to train the to-be-automated skills?
While working with the skill hierarchy, the other three components, and especially the timetable, you could go back to your task class and improve it! Now you have done your blueprint. It is like an architectural plan for a future building. You can discuss and revise it with the practitioners and colleagues, and then move to the development, that is, with building your house so that the students could be invited!
The algorithm for 4C/ID model from my experience
1
Define and analyze the real-life problem to choose the appropriate task sequence.
2
II layer – design, develop, and prototype one task class.
4. Create learning tasks for one class
5. Improve the skill hierarchy and design the other three components for one class (you are here)
6. Design the performance assessment for one class
7. Plan the development and prototyping of one task class
5. Improve the skill hierarchy and design the other three components for one class (you are here)
6. Design the performance assessment for one class
7. Plan the development and prototyping of one task class
3
III — improve and develop the four components for one task class.
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