LESSON 8

  

Higher Thinking Skills through IT-Based Projects

It is to be understood that these projects do not address all of the thinking skills shown previously in the Thinking Skills Framework. But these projects represent constructivist project.

In this lesson, we shall discuss four types of IT-based projects which can effectively be used in order to engage students in activities of a higher plane of thinking. To be noted is the fact that these projects differ in the specific process and skills employed, also in the ultimate activity or platform used to communicate completed products to others.

On the other hand, it is the students themselves who demonstrate higher thinking skills and creativity through such activities searching for information, organizing, and synthesizing, ideas, creating presentations, and the like.

Now let us see four IT-based projects conducive to develop higher thinking skills and creativity among learners.

1 Resource Based Projects

In these projects, the teacher steps out of the traditional role of being a content expert and information provider, and instead lets the students find their own facts and information. The general flows of events in resource-based projects are;

1. The teacher determines the topic for the examination of class.

 2. The teacher presents the problem to the class.

3. The students find information on the problem/questions.

 4. Students organize their information in response to the problem/questions.

Relating to finding information, the central principle is to make the students Student are encouraged to go to the, particularly to the modern extension of the modern library.

Furthermore, the inquiry-based or discovery approach is given importance in resource-based projects. Finally, the process is given more importance than the project product.

Traditional learning model VS Resource-based learning model

1. Teacher is expert and information provides   1. Teacher is a guide and facilitator

2. Textbook is key source of information      2. Sources are varied (print, video.       Internet, etc.)

3. Focus on facts Information is packaged in neat parcels 3. Focus on learning inquiry, quest, or discovery

4. The product is the be-all and end-all of learning 4. Emphasis on process

 5. Assessment is quantitative 5. Assessment is quantitative and qualitative.

Traditional learning model	Resource-based learning model
1. Teacher is expert and information provides	1. Teacher is a guide and facilitator
2. Textbook is key source of information	2. Sources are varied (print, video.         Internet, etc.)
3. Focus on facts Information is packaged in neat parcels 4. The product is the be-all and end-all of learning	3. Focus on learning inquiry, quest, or discovery 4. Emphasis on process
5. Assessment is quantitative	5. Assessment is quantitative and qualitative.

WEBquest as a Resource

San Diego State University developed the Web Quest as an Internet approach to support resource-based projects.  Webquest is a design to use learner’s time well, to focus on information rather than looking for it.

¨  Its website is http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquest.html

2 SIMPLE CREATIONS

Simple Creations Students can also be assigned to create their software materials. Of course, there are available software materials such as Creative Writer (by Microsoft) on writing, Kid Work Deluxe (by Davidson) on drawing and painting, and Media Weave (by Humanities software) on multimedia).

In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with ingenuity or high intelligence.

Creativity is said to combine three kinds of skills/abilities:

. • Analyzing- distinguishing similarities and differences/ seeing the project as a problem to be solved.

• Synthesizing- making spontaneous connections among ideas, does generating interesting or new ideas.

• Promoting- selling of a new ideas to allow the public to test the ideas themselves.

To develop creativity, the following five key tasks may be recommended:

. Define the task- clarify the goal of the completed project to the student.

Brainstorm- the students themselves will be allowed to generate their own ideas on the project. Rather than shoot down ideas, the teacher encourages ideas exchange.

Judge the ideas- the students themselves make an appraisal for or against any idea. Only when students are completely off check should the teacher intervene.  

Act- the students do their work with the teacher a facilitator.

Adopt flexibility- the students should be allowed to shift gears and not follow an action path rigidly.

3 Guided Hypermedia Projects

GUIDED HYPERMEDIA PROJECTS The production of self-made multimedia projects can be approached into different ways:

Such as in the production by students of a power-point presentation of a selective topic.

 Such as when students do a multi- media presentation (with text, graphs, photos, audio narration, interviews, video clips, etc.).

It can be approached in two different ways. 

First, As an Instructive tool, 

such as in the production by the students of a power point presentation. You can apply this in your discussion. It is easy for the teacher to catch up the attention of the students because they love moving letters or pictures and also sounds and the teacher can discussed well the topic because of its beautiful visual aid which is suitable for the topic. 

And Second, as a communication tool

when students do a multimedia presentation to stimulate a television news show. It is easy for the teacher to discuss about news or literature if they have tools like television or you can use your own video clips in order to present the topic they wanted.

4 WEB-BASED PROJECTS

 Students can be made to create and post web pages on a given topic. But creating new pages, even single page web pages, maybe too sophisticated and time consuming for the average student.

 It should be said, however, that posting of web pages in the Internet allows the students (now the web page creator) a wider audience. They can also be linked with other related sites.