Day 9

My own curiosity is driving me to the brink. I've been searching for learning objects to post to the class discussion (another part of the requirements for this particular module) and I keep getting side-tracked researching for things that will be useful to me!

In the "Pro" column, I've finally joined MERLOT. I wonder if I'll have the nerve to publish my final project there? Several Webheads from Tapped In have posted learning objects there, so I can use my online professional development community colleagues as a sounding board...perhaps I'll actually formally publish something I've created at long last.

But that's not the point I need to be making here - I'm supposed to be focusing on my application of DCC to my own creation of a learning object.

I don't know if I'm straining at a gnat, although I have a very strong suspicion that I am...and I'm choking on the darned camel. Too many steps=too broad goal. I need to narrow it down and focus so I don't end up writing a three-volume tome for one project! My new mantra? This is supposed to be Dick, Carey & Carey, not IPISD! Back to the (digital) drawing board.

So now I need to write my Performance Objectives. So far I have narrowed the scope of this project down to this:

Given access to a computer with Microsoft Word 2003 and an unformatted document, the learner will use the formatting tools to center align the title 100% of the time.

That is the Terminal Objective for step 7 in my Analysis. It contains the action and concept, the conditions and the criteria, so I think I'm doing okay so far. I'm choosing to write one Performance Objective for this step, rather than several because they are all so closely linked. This will also allow me to use one Learning Object for this particular piece of instruction.

Deep breath.

Given access to a computer with Microsoft Word 2003 and an unformatted document the learner will use the formatting tools to correctly center the title by doing the following: locate the title paragraph and select it, locate and open the Format menu, locate and open the Paragraph submenu, locate and select the Alignment dropdown menu, select Centered as the Alignment option, and click OK to close the dialog box.

Is that too much? Should that be broken down? Sigh. I have no earthly idea. But it's what I'm going to go with, so I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed.

---

Update: As I try to diagram this lesson, I'm diagramming the whole thing. It just doesn't make sense not to do the whole thing, even if I am just going to concentrate on one small part of it for my Learning Object.

I've broken down each of the steps into smaller steps, and the first half of my diagram now looks like this:

I have identified Entry Behaviors as very basic, based on my target audience. Now to keep working on it and hopefully get my Assessment instruments in order as well. I feel like I am woefully behind, but I suspect that's because I just am not comfortable with using this model yet.