Dr. Elina Prodromidi & Ms. Matina Katsiyianni

Biology & Mathematics Faculty at ACS Athens, Greece

A step by step guide to design, implement and

evaluate High School blended learning

in Math & Science through the

Quality Matters Framework

Session Outline

A. Introducing ACS Athens B. The dynamics of the IB Mathematics SL and Biology HL/SL classesC. The i2 Flex Methodology as a type of Blended LearningD. The TPACK framework as background researchE. Quality Matters Framework and Standards as an Evaluation toolF. Moodle platform as a platform of implementing the i2 Flex

Methodology

ACS Athens

● K12 International school with over 1,000 students

● About 80 full-time faculty members

● Mission Statement: To embrace American educational philosophy, principles and values. Through excellence in teaching and diverse educational experiences, ACS Athens challenges all students to realize their unique potential-academically, intellectually, socially and ethically-and to thrive as responsible global citizens. 

IB Mathematics SL and Biology HL classes● Number of students per class: About 15-20 students● Time frame: 2-year cycle (11th grade and 12th grade)● Goal: Succeeding in the IB May Exams that lead

to University entry and enjoy learning!

● Demographics: Mixed population of native English-speaking and non-native speakers with a lower level of the English language (ESL).  Few students with some learning difficulties, enrolled in the Optimal Learning Program (OLP).A diversity of student learning styles.

The i2 Flex methodology

The components of the i2 Flex methodology are the following:

● i : Independent ● i : Inquiry based - Guided Face to Face● Flex: Flexible learning

Organically developed by the ACS Athens community of learners.A methodology which integrates internet-based delivery of content and instruction with faculty-guided, student independent, inquiry-based learning, in combination with face-to-face instruction aiming at developing higher order cognitive skills within a learning design framework that is flexible in terms of time, pace, place, and/or mode (Gialamas & Avgerinou,

2015). First applied in Middle

school and Academy classes of

ACS Athens in 2013

The TPACK framework

Originally introduced by Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler J. of

Michigan State University in

2006.The

framework identifies

three primary forms of

knowledge

The intersecting areas are the

ones that reveal a deeper

level of understanding

on how to integrate

technology into the classroom.

The different components of TPACK -( http://tpack.org)

Quality Matters Framework

Evaluating the

process of Blended Learning

Factors affecting Online Quality (https://www.qualitymatters.org/why-quality-matters/process)

ACS Faculty Performance Evaluation: i2 Flex Criteria (adapted from the QM Framework) for Moodle shell design

QM Standards & Moodle Implementation● Accessibility by students and faculty

● Uniformity among courses

(The format is revised and improved

over the years and as Moodle adds on

various tools)

● Use of BBB for Synchronous Learning

Moodle page for IB Math Studies SL

Standard 1: Overall Design of the Courses on Moodle platform

● General template for all Middle and High School courses, that ensures solidarity & clarity.

● User-friendly as well as comprehensible structure & navigation

● Dynamic as it is continuously evaluated through surveys, in order to be simplified/ enriched with new features.

All courses include:

● A “Welcome1 Start here!” tab with course outline and main resources, a step-to-step navigation guide to the Moodle shell, communication details with the instructor and support details for students, as well as minimum technology requirements.

● A separate tab for every topic - the updated Design includes “children tabs” for the major topics.

● The updated design also includes a separate tab for the synchronous virtual learning via the Big Blue Button (BBB).

Standard 1: Overall Design of the Courses on Moodle platform Example from Mathematics & Biology Moodle shell

Moodle page for IB Math AI SL Moodle page on One Topic of IB Biology I

Standard 1: Overall Design of the Courses on Moodle platform Example from Mathematics and Biology Moodle shells

Moodle page on BBB tab for Mathematics

Moodle page on BBB tab for Biology

Standard 2: Learning Objectives of the Course on Moodle

Learning Objectives for the “Straight Lines” topic

IB Mathematics

Course Outline for the IB Biology course

● A set of clear learning objectives/ the purpose of learning.

● Measurable topic-specific objectives that are also consistent with the nature of the specific course.

● Students are becoming aware of the knowledge and skills needed to successfully complete the course and earn the credits

Standard 2: Learning Objectives of the Course on Moodle

Course Outline for the IB Mathematics Virtual

course

Standard 3: Meaningful Assessment and Measurement of Student Performance in Moodle

● Authentic, meaningful and representative assessments.

● Summative & Formative assessments are announced on Moodle Calendar.

● Automated reminders for upcoming assessments help students manage their revision time & organize their studying.

● Plethora of different formats of questions allow the teacher to provide immediate feedback on the learners’ activities.

● Paperless record and statistics for the class.

Standard 3: Meaningful Assessment and Measurement of Student Performance in Moodle

Example of an Assessment from the IB AI

● Clear Instructions

● Relevant Material in place

● Accessibility by every student

● Interactivity within the group

● Detailed explanation for students uploading their work

Standard 3: Meaningful Assessment and Measurement of Student Performance in Moodle

An interactive Forum used as Assessment on Biology Data Analysis methodology:● Research skills● Collaboration skills● Writing and comprehension

skills

Standard 4: Instructional Materials and Resources on Moodle

● Notes and scientific article provided

● Practice Assessment with Graphing Exercises

● Creation of a Wiki: Make your own IA Guide; instructions given on a video and in writing; structure of Wiki provided

Biology IB Moodle shell

Standard 4: Instructional Materials and Resources on Moodle

● The book is hyperlinked as a resource

● The activities are outlined in order to guide the students towards achieving the learning goals

● The variety of the activities & materials provided enhance differentiation and inclusion.

Math IB Moodle shell

Standard 5: Learning Activities and Interactivity in the Course through Moodle

Skills practiced:

●Collaboration●Research●Writing●Presentation/oral

Student-content, student-student & student-teacher interactivities are promoted Biology IB Moodle shell

Standard 5: Learning Activities and Interactivity in the Course through Moodle

In the Math class, we often compare and discuss problems like the one below in order to understand the different mechanisms that someone needs to generate in order to succeed in solving all the various kinds of questions. Exercises that refer to the same basic idea and knowledge, but seem harder to solve. Below, there is some of the students’ comments on such an assignment. The students were asked to solve three different exercises in a specific concept and were then asked to reflect on their differences, their complexities and difficulties through a Moodle forum.

Math IB Moodle shell

Standard 5: Learning Activities and Interactivity in the Course through Moodle

Interactive Q&A for an upcoming test on Hypothesis testing. Students are asked to leave their questions and answers on an embedded padlet on moodle.

Math IB Moodle shell

Standard 6: Course Technology on Moodle

● Course navigation features and technology employed are up-to-date and compatible with a wide range of computer devices.

● Constant implementation of software updates and safety checks by our school.

● Confidentiality and students’ privacy ensured through compliancy of all our courses and technological features with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Standard 7: Institutional Support Services on Moodle

In all our Moodle course pages student support by either the instructor (ex. office hours, virtual space communication) and the institution itself (ex. technical support) are clearly articulated

Standard 8: Accessibility and Usability of the Course on Moodle

●Multimedia facilitate ease of use.

●For example, captioned video resources, audio descriptions of videos and recorded blended lessons

Remote learning in the Covid-19 era: Reflections from Biology and Mathematics classes

● Moodle Feature - BBB for Synchronous Learning

● Asynchronous Learning for reduced screen time and flexibility in learning

● Keeping track of students work with submission button on the assignment tab

● Sense of Immediate interaction with the Forums and embedded Padlets

Discussion