Multimedia Design Project Assessment (MDPA) Report

Please replace the instructions provided with your own narrative.

Product URL: http://allgoodmultimediaproject.weebly.com/

Analysis
Learner Analysis

Learners will be gifted 11th and 12th grade Latin III students from
Brookwood High School in Gwinnett County. The classes contain diverse
learners. The classes contain about thirty percent minority students. There
are three to five English language learners and two high functioning
autistic students. The learners have proficient skills in Internet research
and in various digital tools, like Google Drive and Prezi, since they use
these resources in most classes. Many students are familiar with creating
a Wikispaces page as well as a recorded presentation. Learners have had
previous experience with project-based and collaborative learning in Latin
class as well as in other classes.

Context Analysis

This project will be completed by two Latin III classes, each consisting of
about thirty-two students. The students will work on the project during
two weekly class periods, each of which is fifty-two minutes, over a
period of three to four weeks.
Since the Latin classroom only has one computer, the students will be
using the computer lab, which has thirty-three computers, to complete this
WebQuest assignment. The computer lab also has a wireless connection
for students to use their own devices. Since the school has adopted a
Bring Your Own Device initiative, many students might choose to use
their personal device. However, to provide equitable access, the computer
lab will be used all throughout this project.
The webquest has been created with universal design principles in mind to
assist all learners. Alternative texts, closed captions, and audio files have
been included to assist the visually and hearing impaired students. Other
assistive technology will be used as needed. The teacher will refer to the
students IEP to ensure that all accommodations are being met. The
teacher will consult with the students case manager for guidance in
implementing this lesson.
The teacher is highly proficient in both content and technology; therefore,
is able to provide students with troubleshooting guidance. The teacher is

I.

comfortable managing student-centered lessons with integrated

technology. The teacher has used blended learning and collaborative
lessons with her classes before.
This project addresses a number of national, state, and local foreign
language and technology standards:

Gwinnett County Academic Knowledge and Skills for Modern and

Classical Languages

CLL3_B2009-5: describe and discuss the perspectives, practices, and products

of Roman culture

CLL3_B2009-6: analyze the contributions of Roman culture to other

civilizations

II.

Georgia Performance Standards

CLADV.CU1 The students demonstrate an understanding of perspectives,

practices, and products of Roman culture

CLADV.CU2 The students demonstrate an understanding and make critical

assessments of the contributions of Roman culture to other civilizations.

III.

American Council on the Teaching and of Foreign Language Standards

Culture Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relation

between the practice and perspectives of the culture studied.

Connections Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of

other disciplines through the foreign language,

Comparisons 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of

culture through comparison of the cultures studied and their own.

IV. ISTE Student Standards

Creativity and Innovation: Student demonstrates creative thinking, construct

knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

Communication and collaboration: Student use digital media and

environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distant,
to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

Research and information fluency: students apply digital tools to gather,

evaluate, and use information.

Critical thinking, problem solving and decision making: Students use critical
thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems,
and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

Digital Citizenship: Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues

related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.

Technology operations and concepts: Students demonstrate a sound

understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

Task Analysis

For this project, students will rise up the levels of Blooms Taxonomy in their
research and creation of their final product. Students will choose from a
variety of digital tools to support these higher-order thinking skills. The
objective of this project is to have students analyze the ways in which ancient
Greco-Roman culture has shaped modern Western culture. From this project,
students will gain a better cultural understanding and appreciation of their
own culture as well as the culture of others.
In addition to gaining cultural awareness, students will improve their technical
skills as they select and use various digital tools for research, collaboration,
evaluation, presentation, communication, and creation.
After this project, students will know how to select, evaluate, and incorporate
digital tools of their choosing into multimedia projects. They will know how
to use digital tools to gather, organize, share, and synthesize information.
This project will improve students creative thinking, collaborative,
communicative, and presentational skills.

Design
Overview

For this webquest, students will act as anthropologist examining modern

Western culture and explaining its roots. In pairs, the students will work
together to research a particular aspect of Greco-Roman culture that has
had a lasting influence on modern Western culture. The classroom hook
activity and the webquest introductory video will activate students
background knowledge and make the students excited to begin the project.
The students will use their background knowledge of American culture
and will expand upon their growing knowledge of Roman culture to
discover the Roman influences in modern American society. Each pair
will share their knowledge with the world by creating a page on the class

Details

wiki. The task of the students, in their role as anthropologists, is to spread

cultural understanding by creating a web resource about cultural
influences of the Romans on Western civilization.
The process of the students include a) selecting the focus of their research;
2) performing Internet research through sites provided by the teacher and
books reserved in the media center; 3) collecting and sharing their
research with their partner and teacher via Google Drive; 4) creating a
Wikispaces page to share their research with a wider audience; 5) creating
a recorded presentation summarizing and exhibiting their knowledge to
the class; 6) creating a blog post answering one of the creative thinking
questions.
This project is designed to increase student engagement by being
meaningful, student-centered, and culturally responsive.
o It is meaningful by giving students the opportunity to play the role
of an anthropologist. Students explore and analyze their modern
world in order to grapple with open-ended questions. Lastly, the
creation of the final products, the wiki and blog posting, are
meaningful since the students are creating products for a wider
audience.
o It is student-centered by emerging from student choice and interest.
The students are provided with autonomy to choose their research
topic, wiki design, presentation tools, and creative writing topic.
This project enables students to take responsibility for their
learning and to make decisions.
o It is culturally-responsive because it incorporates students prior
experiences and it recognizes cultural contributions from others.
The creative writing topics give the students opportunities to
incorporate their own culture into the project or to reimagine
another culture by changing aspects.
For implementing this project, I created a Weebly site (www.weebly.com)
to step the students through this webquest project. Creative Commons
images (https://search.creativecommons.org/) were used to add visual
appeal to the web pages. I chose Google Drive (www.google.com/drive/)
to help students collaborate and organize their shared their research with
their partner and myself. I chose Wikispaces (www.wikispaces.com) for
the students to create share their final product with a larger audience.
YouTube videos (www.youtube.com) have been selected to provide
students with introductory information and digital tool tutorials. Voki
(www.voki.com) and Vocaroo (www.vocaroo.com) have been used to
provide alternative text. Rubistar (www.rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php)
was used to create the assessment rubric. Google Forms
(https://www.google.com/forms/about) was used to create the student
reflection survey.

In order to differentiate the lesson, students will pair up according to

interest in the particular research topics. For content differentiation, my
accelerated students will be asked to write an explanation for each
photo/image they post on their Wikispaces page. In this explanation, the
advanced students will justify why this image reflects Roman influences
on modern culture. Also, graphic organizers will be provided to help
students, especially lower performing students, record and organize their
research. These graphic organizers can be provided in both digital and
paper formats. For differentiation of process, a variety of resources,
(videos, books, and websites) have been provided for research. For the
final product, students are able choose how they share their information on
the Wikispaces page. They can create basic webpage or multimedia
presentation. The ability to choose will enable them to demonstrate
mastery of the content in a method they prefer.
This project will be worked on during class time in order to provide
equitable digital access to all the students.
The WebQuest was designed with universal design principles in mind.
There is high contrast between the background and text colors. Multiple
means of representation have been provided. Meaningful images, like the
evaluation rubric and YouTube videos, have alternative texts to
accommodate the students with disabilities. Audio recording created in
Voki and Vocaroo are used to assist the hearing impaired. Multiple means
of actions have been provided since students are designing webpages and
creating audio recordings of their research. Lastly, multiple means of
engagement have been provided since students are given the autonomy
throughout the project. Students get to choose: 1) their research topic and
focus; 2) their design and format for their wiki; 3) the method and tools for
their presentation; 4) the topic of their creative writing blog post.
This project is designed to be a collaborative project. Ideally, the students
would work in pairs based on their shared interests. Google Drive and
Wikispaces will assist in the collaborative elements of the design.
However, the creative writing blog component is designed to be an
individual assignment so that all students can demonstrate their creativity
and can share their voice with a broad audience. The webquest could be
adapted to accommodate larger groups or solely individuals, at the
teachers discretion.
In this WebQuest, a number of multimedia tools were used. These tools,
used by both the teacher in project creation and by the students in project
execution, include website creators, videos, embedded code, links, blogs,
survey tools, and screencasts. The digital tools are used to deliver content,
to gather information, to create final products, to share information with a
broad audience, to increase student engagement, to create assessments,
and to assist students with disabilities.
Assistive technology, like text-to-speech programs, and alternative texts
could be used to assist students with disabilities. Computer accessibility
for disabled students could be improved by assistive technology like

alternative keyboards and touch screens. Students can also be provided

with written forms of this project, if it is more suitable to their needs.

Development

This project was designed over a six-week summer semester. During the
first two weeks, I developed and expanded by project idea. I designed the
objectives and tasks with content and technology standards in mind. Since
I had never made a webquest before, I looked through other example
WebQuests for inspiration and guidance. Over the next few weeks, I
created the Weebly site to host all the information and procedures.
In the creation of the Weebly site, I used a variety of digital tools, such as
Screencast-omatic, Voki, Wikispaces, Jing, Vocaroo, YouTube, Google
Images, Google Forms, and Rubistar. While creating the Weebly page, I
tried to keep in mind the principles of universal design in order to make
the site user-friendly, especially to students with disabilities. I tried to post
an audio recording created in Audacity of my rubric to assist my visually
disabled students, but this multimedia feature requires the professional
version of Weebly, which costs money. Therefore, I created a YouTube
video of my screencast in place of just an audio file. I know that the
visually impaired will not see the rubric in the video; however, they will
hear me go through each topic. Additionally, I wanted the introductory
YouTube video to have Closed Captions for the hearing impaired students;
however, using the Weebly widget for YouTube videos did not transfer the
closed caption icon. Therefore, I created embed code to insert all the
videos with closed captions feature.
In order to help students and other teachers troubleshoot, I included
tutorial videos to guide them through using the various digital tools.
I had two neighborhood students try out and explore the webquest using a
Think Aloud Protocol in order to ensure that the Weebly was
understandable. After this protocol, I added further explanation into the
process section and more tutorials in the teacher resource page of the
Weebly site in order to make the process clear and manageable.

Implementation

Overview: This WebQuest will take 6-9 days. Student will work in Latin
class on the project on two days a week for about 3-4 weeks, depending on
their needs. Class time is being used for this project in order to ensure
equitable access. Students may work on the project at home, if they
choose to; however, they should have plenty of class time to complete the
expectations.

Preparation: For the implementation of this project, each student will

need to have access to a computer or web-connected device, i.e. tablet or
smartphone. Therefore, I would reserve one of the computer labs for each
day that students were going to work on the project in class. I would
reserve the computer lab in the media center, since the students would
have access to books for research in addition to digital resources. I would
ask our media center specialist to pull a collection of books that would
address the students research topics.
Hook Activity: Before the students begin the webquest, I would have an
introductory activity where the students, placed in groups, have pictures of
items that have Roman cultural influences, like Venus razors, Midas Tires
advertisement, Nike shoes, archways, Roman numerals, etc. We would
use these images to spark a discussion about the lasting effects of the
Romans.
Creation of Groups: After the discussion, I would have the students get
up and walk to the sign indicating which research category most interests
them (art and architecture, government and law, religion and philosophy,
or daily life). Once the students have gathered around the sign that
interests them the most, I would have them brainstorm and discuss
subtopics within this category. Then they would pair off with someone in
that same group who will be their research partner.
Project Initiation: On the first day on the computers, the students will
work to explore the webquest and resources. Students will work to
research their topic and share their research with their teacher and partner
using Google Drive.
Continuation of Project: Over the next few class periods, the students
will complete the following tasks: 1) complete their research; 2) design
and create their wiki; 3) plan, create, and record their presentation using
digital tools of their choosing; 4) create their blog post answering one of
the creative writing questions.
Teachers Role: While the students are working on the various aspects of
the project, the teacher will act as the facilitator. She will help the students
troubleshoot. She will provide advice and guidance, as needed. She will
maintain classroom management by keeping the students engaged in the
project.
Teacher Collaboration: The teacher will work with the media center
specialist to collect resources to aid the students in their research. Also,
the media center specialists will provide the teacher feedback on the
project in order to make the project more engaging.

Evaluation
Student Learning

Students will demonstrate their learning through their successful creation

of their wiki, recorded presentation, and blog post. In order to get to the
final products, the students will have risen up through the levels of
Blooms Taxonomy as they performed their research, apply their previous
knowledge of Roman and American culture to compare the cultures,
analyzed the influences, and synthesized the information on the
Wikispaces page. Their final products will be assessed using a rubric.
Additionally, they will assess their own learning and experience through a
self-reflection Google Form. The teacher will also be access student
learning throughout the project by monitoring student research shared via
Google Drive and by observations.

Product Design

Since I was not able to implement this project this semester, I had two
students navigate the site. I asked them to complete a Think Aloud
Protocol in order to discover the areas of improvement. After the protocol,
I asked them a series of questions about the usability of the WebQuest.
Based on the protocol results and their feedback, I made the appropriate
changes to the design and information. For example, I added the tutorial
video on how to use Wikispaces. I also added more information to the
process page in order to make the explanation more understandable.

Images of Pilot Students

Reflection

After I am able to implement the project in class this fall, I will observe
students using the webquest in order to assess the project design. I will
take notes on my observations and make changes when necessary.
Additionally, as part of their self-reflection survey, the students will be
asked to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the project itself. The
feedback provided by the students will enable me to make the adjustments
for a more successful implementation the next year.

Project Development

As a result of developing this project, I became familiar with webquest

design. I learned what features are necessary to include and how to
organize it properly. I also gained technical skills by using the various
digital tools. For example, I discovered how to write embed code for
including closed captions on embedded YouTube videos. As I became
more comfortable using Weebly and all of its widgets to create a
multimedia website. I believe that I created a well-organized and
thorough webquest. If I were to do it again, I would add in a way for
students to work with others outside of the classroom, like community
experts. Using a wiki and blog enabled students to share their research
and voice with others outside the classroom, but there was no
collaboration with outsiders. Next time, I would like to find a way to add
in this type of collaborative component.

Instructional Design

The multimedia instructional design worked very well. The creation of

individual pages enabled students to easily navigate the Weebly site. I
believe that the students will be engaged throughout the project since it is
meaningful, student-centered, and culturally responsive. The creative and
multimedia elements will excite the students. Also, I believe this project
will foster 21st century skills, like collaboration, communication, critical
thinking, creativity, and digital citizenship. Overall, I think my choices of
multimedia tools worked well. Next time, I would like to include more
multimedia features, like the use of VoiceThread or Skype.

Personal Growth

From this project, I learned that I am capable of designing a webquest

without using a template. I was proud that I was able to create and
organize the website and to include multimedia elements by myself. I
learned to troubleshoot through my difficulties with embedding the
YouTube video with closed captions. I also dug into my digital toolbox to
find a creative ways to include an audio track when the feature was
unavailable on Weebly. I discovered and incorporated two new digital
tools in the creation of this project, Voki and Vocaroo. I am proud of the
diverse multimedia elements that I was able to include in the project. I
feel that this experience will help me coach others in their creation of webbased projects. Additionally, I am more conscious of meeting the needs of
all my students, and I have new knowledge, skills and digital tools to help
me do so.

For Others

I would highly recommend this project to other teachers. I would advise

them to not be intimidated by the process. It is not as scary as it seems. If
they start by looking at other examples, soon inspiration will come to
them. They can use the examples to guide them as they start creating, but
soon they will have the confidence to branch out and add their own
elements. A webquest is an excellent way to address both content and
technology standards. Lastly, I would emphasize to them to make sure
they consider and address digital equity and universal design principles in
order to meet the different needs of their students.