What+Makes+a+Good+Learning+Activity?


 * What Makes a Good Learning Activity?** - this document I have borrowed and adapted form the Geography Education literature. It is intended to be a tool for evaluating lesson plans. We will use it for our atlas for a similar purpose. While our atlas may or may not include lessons and specific activities, it will be helpful for us when designing it to look at how teachers and students might use it as a learning resource. SO, review the following with respect the the lesson plans you examine and the atlas pages you envision. We do not need to hit these benchmarks, but they do provide us with something to shoot for. **Post on the discussion board above your thoughts on this type of evaluation with respect to our atlas.**

__Goal Relavance__


 * Do the activities accomplish worthwhile goals?
 * Do they focus on important primary objectives identified in Geography Standards instead of constituting busy work?
 * Do they give students many opportunities to achieve the expectations outlined in the Geography Standards?

__Appropriate Level of Difficulty__


 * Do the activities fall within students' range of ability?
 * Do they challenge students and help them to learn, rather than confuse and frustrate them?

__Feasibility__


 * Are the activities feasible given the constraints under which teachers work (space, equipment, time, and types of students?)

__Cost Effectiveness__


 * Do the geography learning benefits justify the anticipated time and effort for both students and teachers?

__Multiple Goals__


 * Do the activities accomplish several goals?
 * Do they ask students to use higher order critical and creative thinking, inquiry, problem solving, and decision-making skills?
 * Do they involve students in activities connected with real life?
 * Do they apply to several Standards?

__Motivational Value__
 * Are the activities enjoyable, meaningful, and worthwhile?

__Topic Currency__


 * Do the activities focus on powerful ideas that are central to the course as described in standards and the curriculum being taught?
 * Do they represent new and progressive approaches to teaching geography?
 * If appropriate, is technology used to facilitate student learning?

__Whole-Task Completion__ > __Adaptability__
 * Do the activities encompass whole tasks, hold together as a set, and build toward major goals?
 * Can the activities be adapted to student's individual differences, interests, and abilities?

__Assessment and Instruction__


 * Does the assessment evaluate what students know and are able to do with this knowledge in an authentic and meaningful context and provide information that can be used by students to improve their performance?
 * Does the assessment align with the instructional strategies and Geography for Life student expectations?

Back to Atlas Design Challenge II To the Map Geek Blogs, post haste! Return to the Weekly Blog Topics. I wanna go home.