Weight: 25% of your final grade
Due: after you have completed Unit 7
Instructions
Focusing on the themes and concepts in Units 5, 6, and 7, produce a learning object that teaches history from a communication perspective. You are given a choice of formats below. Your learning object should be a tool with which you can educate your peers about your learning.
Choose any communication technology (for example, television, telephone, or Internet) that you have encountered.
Outline what this technology enhances, reverses, obsolesces, and retrieves.
Provide a rationale for your learning object. Put your ideas about the technology into contemporary context: Why is this an important or interesting topic? How does it relate to the lives of your audience/learners? Why should they know about it and about ideas in communication history? What have you learned in creating this learning object?
Choose one of the six following formats. If you would like to use another format, you must discuss it with your tutor before you begin your project.
develop a workshop for your peers
create a digital storybook or a graphic novel
create an instructional video
develop a website or a blog
write an article for publication in a magazine or e-zine
prepare a slide presentation for a Communication Technologies conference
Cite your sources meticulously. For this assignment, they will not necessarily be cited within the learning object itself, but you must submit a list of the references that you have used along with your learning object.
If creating a power point presentation, use as many slides as you need to tell your story, but typically 10–12 at the most. That depends of course how efficiently you are presenting your information. You can use bullet points or charts and/or other graphics to convey information, and of couse text but no more than 10 lines of easily-read font per page. So it’s really an exercise in teaching the important points of the topic and illustrating (or formatting) it creatively to catch your reader’s attention. Don’t try to cram an entire essay into the presentation! Imagine that you are the reader and know nothing about the subject but also know you are not going to just from this one presentation. Please discuss this with your tutor if you are still unsure of length or approach.
When you have completed your project, submit it to your tutor for marking and feedback, using this assignment drop box.
Once your tutor has reviewed your learning object, she or he will post it in the Presentation of Learning Objects forum, so that you can share your learning with your fellow students.
Before you begin this assignment, please review the AU Write Site’s information on Plagiarism.
Grading Criteria
General Rubric (80%)
The following criteria apply to all six of the formats given as options for this assignment. They are worth 80% of the grade for the assignment. More specific criteria for each format are given below in the format-specific rubrics.
Writing will be assessed using the following criteria:
grammar, punctuation
correct word use (vocabulary)
specific, concrete language
sentences are no longer than needed—longer sequences of ideas are broken into separate, but connected, sentences
cohesion: good flow between sentences and paragraphs; transitions such as logical connectors used (for example, “however,” “similarly,” “in contrast,” “for instance”)
avoids the use of lay terms and colloquialisms
LEARNING OBJECT
Exemplary Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Unacceptable
Writing Quality The learning object is well-written and clear. The learning object is generally cohesive and well-written, but includes a few grammatical errors or other problems that reduce its clarity. The learning object often lacks clarity because of poor organization, poor cohesion, poor grammar, and/or vague language. The learning object has numerous problems and is unclear due to poor organization, poor cohesion, poor grammar, and/or vague language.
Technology Describes and explains what the technology is for and how it enhances, reverses, obsolesces, and retrieves. To some extent, describes and explains what the technology is for and how it enhances, reverses, obsolesces, and retrieves. The technology used is not clearly described and not properly explained. The technology is not described and explained.
LEARNING OBJECT RATIONALE
Exemplary Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Unacceptable
Writing Quality The rationale is well-written and clear. There are no grammatical or spelling errors. The language is clear and appropriate. The rationale is generally cohesive and well-written, but includes a few grammatical errors or other problems that reduce its clarity. There are one or two grammatical or spelling errors. The language is somewhat clear and appropriate. The rationale often lacks clarity because of poor organization, cohesion issues, poor grammar, and/or vague language. There are four or more grammatical or spelling errors. The language is vague. The rationale has numerous problems and is unclear due to poor organization, poor cohesion, poor grammar, and/or vague language.
Description and Explanation The rationale describes the technology in a contemporary context. The rationale explains the importance of the topic and how it relates to the lives of the audience. It cites scholarly work to support these claims, where appropriate, and includes a references list. There is a reasonable attempt to describe the technology in a contemporary context. There is a reasonable attempt to explain the importance of the topic and how it relates to the lives of the audience. But it is poorly presented, inadequately reasoned, or not well-supported by scholarly work. There is a poor or incomplete attempt to describe the technology in a contemporary context. There is a poor or incomplete attempt to explain the importance of the topic and how it relates to the lives of the audience. It is poorly reasoned or not supported by scholarly work. The technology is not well-described and explained and the rationale is not supported by appropriate references.
Your Learning A clear description of what you have learned in creating this learning object is provided. A somewhat clear description of what you have learned in creating this learning object is provided. There is little (or a poor) attempt to describe what you have learned in creating this learning object. There is no attempt to describe what you have learned in creating this learning object.
CITATION
Exemplary Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Unacceptable
Sources Sources have been properly cited, and where necessary, copyright permissions for graphics used have been obtained. Most sources have been properly cited, and where necessary, most of the copyright permissions for graphics used have been obtained. Sources have not been properly cited, and where necessary, copyright permissions for graphics used have not been obtained. Sources have not been used.
Note that you can use Google Advanced Image Search to limit the results of your image searches to images that you are free to use or share. See “usage rights” near the bottom of the page.
Format-Specific Rubrics (20%)
These rubrics are a guide to the important elements you should consider when working with each of the following six formats. They are worth 20% of the grade for this assignment.
Workshop
Digital Story Book
Video
Blog/Website
Magazine Article
Slide Presentation