You are on page 1of 48

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 1

Problem-Based Learning on Voting and Elections

Caitlin Brown

T. Fulya Eyupoglu

William Griffin

Lindsey Simmons

Problem-Based Learning on Voting and Elections

ECI 716 – Design and Evaluation of Instructional Materials

North Carolina State University

December 8, 2015
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 2
Table of Contents

Needs Assessment
Brief Context……………………………………………………………………………..3
Statement of Problem………………………………………………………………….....3
Type of Needs Assessment……………………………………………………………….4
Data Collection Plan……………………………………………………………………...4
Analysis of the Data……………………………………………………………………....6
Implications of the Findings………………………………………………………………7
Resources………………………………………………………………………………….8
Evaluation…………………………………………………………………………………9
Learner Analysis
Target Audience…………………………………………………………………………...9
Data Collection…………………………………………………………………………..10
Analysis of the Data……………………………………………………………………...11
Context Analysis
Performance Context…………………………………………………………………….13
Learning Context………………………………………………………………………...14
Instructional Plan and Strategies
Brief Context and Needs of the Project………………………………………………….15
Goals of the Project……………………………………………………………………...17
Learning Goals……………………………………………………………………....…..18
Objectives…………………………………………...…………………………………...19
Overview of Instructional Plan…………………………………………………………..19
Detailed Instructional Plan……………………………………………..………………...20
Instructional Strategies…………………………………………………………………...23
Weebly Site Outline and Example…………………………………………………….…28
Evaluation Plan
Purpose and Overview…………………...……...……………………..………………...30
Formative Evaluation………………………...…………………………………………..31
Summative Evaluation…………………………………………………………………...32
Prototype
Link to Weebly Site……………………………………………………………………...34
Aesthetics………………………………………………………………………………...34
Introduction Page………………………………………………………………………...34
Resources………………………………………………………………………………...37
Problem-Solving Phases…………………………………………………………………38
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….40
References…………………………………………………………………………………….…41
Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………...44
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 3
Needs Analysis

Brief Context

Our consulting firm was contacted in September 2015 by the Wake County Public Schools

System (WCPSS). According to the WCPSS, the North Carolina End-of-Course Test of Civics

and Economics results have decreased by 25% over the last 3 years for 10th grade students in

WCPSS. Currently, there are five standards built into the 2010 North Carolina North Carolina

Essential Standards (NCES) for Civics and Economics in 10th grade (Appendix A). According to

the WCPSS administration, the End-of-Course Test of Civics and Economics measures student

understanding of topics such as the American political system, basic values and principles of

American democracy, how the government established by the United States Constitution embodies

the purposes, values, and principles of American democracy, how state and local government is

established by the North Carolina Constitution, and how students can have active roles as a citizen

at the local, state, and national levels of government.

Wake County Public Schools has indicated that an intervention is needed in order to

increase these scores over the next school year. In addition, WCPSS expects that by increasing

engagement of 10th grade students with U.S. and North Carolina politics, they will be better

preparing their students to participate in elections when the students become eligible to vote.

Statement of Problem

Wake County Public Schools approached our consulting firm with a specific problem. In

addition to the data they have provided, we aim to collect additional data to determine that

instruction is the appropriate solution for this problem. This data will be discussed in the Data

Collection section.
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 4
Type of Needs Assessment

Our firm asserts there are multiple facets to the WCPSS concerns of the declining scores

on the end-of-course Civics and Economics test. We not only needed to address the root cause

of diminishing scores but also bridge any gaps to trigger the desired result in a short period of

one year. It was essential during our discovery process to complete a thorough diagnosis with

the decisive goal of recommending an informative and appropriate intervention. Our first action

was inspecting the section results of the end-of-course test from the past three years to identify

any patterns or trends, and also administering a pre-test to determine any knowledge gaps. Next,

we reviewed the current NC Civil and Economics curriculum to determine if there was any

misalignment between test content and curriculum. Furthermore, we directed a survey at the

students, instructors, and administration with the intention of using the responses to provide a

qualitative context to the test scores. Also, we wanted to see if the instructors and administration

share the same vision for this course of study. Lastly, we consulted literature to find any

previous mention of this issue within other school systems, and reviewed national data on

election and voting results with the purpose of distinguishing if this is a micro or macro problem.

Our firm wanted to approach the test score issue from multiple levels to ensure all information

sources were utilized.

Data Collection Plan

The 10th grade high school students are the primary stakeholders for this project, as these

students will provide input on political issues that they find important as well as provide feedback

on the effectiveness of the instruction. We aim to collect data on the current level of student

engagement in order to show a connection between this engagement and knowledge acquisition.
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 5
The Wake County Public School System administration and its teachers are also

stakeholders for this project. The WCPSS administration has hired us for the project, and they are

responsible for facilitating the education of our student group and are therefore also directly

involved in the instruction process. The 10th grade high school social studies teachers and

administration will be providing input and feedback that will be important for ensuring that the

instruction created will enhance and supplement the curriculum that already exists.

For our investigation, we will research the need for improvement in high school education

by researching literature found online as well as the yearly End-of-Course Civics and Economics

test questions and scores provided to us by WCPSS. We will also administer a pre-test for a sample

group of 10th grade WCPSS students. This test will assess the 10th grade students’ knowledge of

key Civics and Economics topics and will provide objective feedback on the effectiveness of the

Civics and Economics curriculum in 10th grade classrooms in Wake County.

Other methods we will use in order to gain information about the instructional need and

potential strategies include interviews and surveys with current 10th grade social studies students

and teachers in North Carolina as well as observation of current 10th grade social studies

classrooms (see Appendix B for interview and survey questions). We also directed a few questions

at the administration to obtain their point-of-view. With this data, we hope to identify subjective

feedback on the current curriculum. Specifically, we hope to obtain data about how engaged and

interested students are about this curriculum as well as how knowledgeable students are about

Civics and Economic topics (specifically, we want to know how much students know about

elections and voting).


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 6
Lastly, we plan to collect voting data from U.S. Census and other sources in order to see

voting trends in U.S youth between ages 18-25. This data will provide the reasons for which the

U.S. youth is not actively voting.

Analysis of the Data

In reviewing the data, we have determined two things. First, this student age group is

generally disengaged with politics (Cammaerts, B., et al. (2013). Research suggests that engaging

the U.S. youth early during their secondary education is important so that they learn to vote and

engage in U.S. politics (Matthews, 2014). Also, when young people learn the voting process and

vote in an election, they are more likely to vote when they are older (Finlay & Flanagan, 2009).

And young people (ages 18-29) make up 21% of the voting eligible population in the United States.

So it is clearly important for youth to become politically engaged. However, according to

http://www.civicyouth.org, 45% of young people, ages 18-29, voted in 2012; this percentage

decreased from 51% in 2008.

According to the IEA Civic Education Study, schools can be effective in preparing students

for engagement in civil society by teaching civic content and skills, and by emphasizing the

importance of voting and elections (Torney-Purta, 2002). In the surveys that we conducted with

10th grade students in WCPSS, the students stated that U.S. political and civics was boring,

unimportant and irrelevant. Teachers are often given little guidance or formal training on how to

teach politics in secondary education (Journell, 2011). In the surveys that we conducted, teachers

stated that they lacked ideas on how to make this topic more exciting and impactful for their

students. This means that there is opportunity to increase excitement about Civics and Economics

as well as opportunity to motivate students.


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 7
Data also suggests that political participation is affected by the level of political knowledge

(Galston, 2001). “For example, 53% are unaware that only citizens can vote in federal elections;

only 30% can correctly name at least one member of the President’s Cabinet (and of those, 82%

name Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice)” (Lopez, et al, 2006).

The second thing we have determined is that there is a lack of knowledge for this age group

since test scores for the End-of-Course Test of Civics and Economics have decreased by 25% over

the last 3 years for 10th grade students in WCPSS. And scores for the pre-test that we administered

averaged at approximately 60% (well under the goal of 85%). This means that there is opportunity

to provide this age group with the knowledge and skills in order to become more engaged in U.S.

politics.

While collecting data, we also found that President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential

election relied heavily on the use of social media and technology (Chang, 2010). And since today’s

youth is considered a digitally-connected demographic, the greatest opportunity to provide our

learning audience with the knowledge and skills lies in the presentation of this information using

social media and technology (ie, web-based modules, which can be viewed on a mobile device).

Implications of the Findings

Based on the data and analysis, the primary goal of instructional intervention is to

supplement existing 10th grade Civics and Economics curriculum in WCPSS with a problem-

based module that allows students to participate in a ‘mock’ election. This module will fit with

pre-established NCES standards and aims to increase not only the students’ motivation but also

increase the North Carolina End-of-Course Test of Civics and Economics results for 10th grade

students in WCPSS. The specific learning objectives for this module are for the sample 10th grade

students in WCPSS to students to:


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 8
● Create a mock political candidate (running for a local government position)

● Analyze and determine a political campaign strategy

● Communicate and promote the candidate in preparation for the upcoming election

● Create instruction for eligible voters that describes how these voters can register and

participate in the upcoming election

● Determine how to motivate eligible voters to participate in the upcoming election

● Describe how the results of the election will be tallied

Based on our findings about the effectiveness of social media presence in politics, the

module will integrate Web 2.0 tools that support 21st century skills.

Resources

Our problem-based learning module will be created and hosted on Weebly. We will create

our content using tools such as slideshows (Slide Rocket), images (ThingLink), screen capture

(Screen-O-Matic), animation (Powtoon), audio (Voki) and video (Jing and YouTube). We will

also integrate social media, such as Twitter, to engage with learners. And other Web 2.0 tools such

as Poll Everywhere and Quizlet will reinforce key points and assess learner knowledge throughout

the course. Our team contains the expertise on how to create web-based training using using these

tools. Students will need access to these tools and will need teacher/parent support and permission

for the appropriate school use of Twitter for this course.

Implementation will be done in a sample 10th grade social studies classroom in one of the

high schools in Wake County, NC.

Evaluation
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 9
We will complete a formative evaluation for this instruction by obtaining feedback from

the students and the teacher before, during, and after our design in order to make enhancements on

its effectiveness and level of engagement with students.

We will complete a summative evaluation for this instruction by first comparing pre-test

and post-test scores. Then, we will grade the students’ performance on the module by comparing

their module output to the learning objectives. Lastly, we will measure effectiveness of the project

in its entirety by reviewing results of the End-of-Course Test of Civics and Economics for the

upcoming academic year as compared to the last 3 years for 10th grade students in WCPSS. Due

to a trend of lower scores as reported in our initial investigation, our project will be considered

successful if 80% of the student sample experiences an increase in scores.

Learner Analysis

Target Audience

The project’s target audience is a group of 10th grade civics and economics students in the

Wake County Public Schools in North Carolina. The target audience follows and is evaluated on

Common Core curriculum. The target audience falls into the 15-16 year old age range and is mixed

in gender and race, according to the “NC Report Card” (Wake County, 2014). They have some

prior knowledge about the voting and elections process, but they have historically not performed

well when tested on this topic, as shown by a 25% decrease on the North Carolina End-of-Course

Test of Civics and Economics the over the last 3 years; this data was provided by the Wake County

Public School Administration during our initial consultation.

In terms of learning styles and learning methods, the target audience has prior experience

with elearning and online learning. They have also had vast experience working collaboratively

in groups for school assignments.


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 10
Data Collection

The goal of the learning analysis is to determine prior knowledge, cognitive and emotional

capability and learning style/preference for the target audience. The purpose of determining this

information is to acquire a better measure of how to design our module for greater usability.

Specifically, our purpose is to determine a degree of prior knowledge of the voting and election

topic, as well as, the amount of current engagement with this material. To reach our other

stakeholders, WCPSS and the teaching faculty, we will conduct interviews to collect observations

about the learners’ characteristics such as their preferences (group work vs. individual work) in

learning the topic to support our survey data from the learners. By conducting a survey with the

students, we will ask the following questions:

1. What is your age?

2. What general knowledge do you already have about the elections and the voting

process?

3. Do you have a background or experience in political science or involvement in student-

led government?

4. How do you work in a group setting?

5. Will you work better with independent or collaborative work in the module?

6. Do you regard the content positively or negatively?

7. What kind of experience do you have with elearning? Is it positive or negative?

8. How motivated are you to complete eLearning?

9. What kind of perceptions do you have to successfully learn the content?

10. Do you have any preferences when it comes to elearning and/or collaborative work?

11. What kind of cultural and educational backgrounds are you bringing to the module?
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 11
In addition, we will conduct an in-person interview with the WCPSS teaching faculty in

order to obtain the following information:

1. How will the cognitive developmental stage of the learner affect the module design?

2. Will physical development affect design?

3. Will emotional development of the learner factor into design?

4. Do the learners have any disabilities which may require modification of the content?

Analysis of the Data

During our analysis, we determined several trends. First, these 10th grade WCPSS students

are not motivated to learn about civics and economics as well as the voting process. They do not

see how this information directly applies to their lives and future careers. Second, they have

limited knowledge about the U.S. voting system beyond understanding of the two main political

parties.

In terms of learning styles and characteristics, the surveys reveal that these students like

collaborative learning environments. They have had mostly positive experiences working in

groups as opposed to working individually. These students also prefer the use of technology in

learning; they enjoy using mobile devices and social media to accompany instruction.

Implications for the Instructional Design

Based on the learner data collected, there are a few implications to the design of the project.

First, we plan to use problem-based learning due to the research indicating that problem

based learning (PBL) environments increase student motivation (Malopinsky et al., 2000)

Although PBL scenarios may be challenging in an online environment, they promote student

interactivity, enhance students’ problem-solving skills, and provide students with a meaningful

learning experience (Tambouris et al., 2012).


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 12
Second, we will have the students work together in groups to complete the problem-based

learning module since PBL is a learner-centered pedagogy, focusing on learners’ active and often

collaborative production of knowledge through engaging with real world problems or cases

(Durrington et al. 2006).

Lastly, the problem-based learning module will also incorporate use of Web 2.0 tools

because these tools help teachers to adopt more learner-centered, participatory or collaborative

practices (Tambouris et al., 2012). Use of these tools is the learning preference for this audience,

as indicated by survey results.

While collecting data, we also found that President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential

election relied heavily on the use of social media and technology (Chang, 2010). And since today’s

youth is considered a digitally-connected demographic, the greatest opportunity to provide our

learning audience with the knowledge and skills lies in the presentation of this information using

social media and technology (ie, web-based modules, which can be viewed on a mobile device).

Context Analysis

Performance Context

The problem-based learning (PBL) instruction that we will create will be hosted on a

Weebly site, so while a physical space is not required for this instruction, there are several

contextual factors to consider. First, to create meaningful and effective instruction on this topic, it

is important to identify and demonstrate the relevance of U.S. civics and politics in the daily lives

of the 10th grade high school students. Putting the information in that performance context will

increase learner motivation and aid in the transfer of the new knowledge. To ensure that the

content is motivating to this audience, we will create instruction tasks that are challenging but
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 13
doable for the learners (Tessmer and Richey, 1997). To ensure that the content is relevant to this

audience, we will relate the voting and election process to a relatable aspect of their lives, such as

having their mock candidate taking a stand on dress code reform.

Second, securing teacher support will ensure that the transfer of learning takes place

(Tessmer and Richey, 1997). As part of the problem-based learning, we recommend that the

teachers take the role of the tutor. This means that the Supervisor/Tutor will provide feedback,

reminders, support and advice as their students complete the problem-based learning. A separate

consulting firm will be hired to train the teachers on how to effectively take on the role as a tutor

for this project, and WCPSS administration has agreed to allow teachers to attend this training

while substitutes conduct their classrooms.

Third, the timing of this project works well in that it provides the opportunity for students

to apply their learnings in their first age-eligible election. To effectively support learning transfer,

there should always be an opportunity to apply the learning (Tessmer and Richey, 1997).

Learning Context

From what has been determined about this learning audience (see Learner Analysis), they

prefer the use of technology in their learning environments. Through use of several Web 2.0

technologies, the problem-based learning module will meet the learner needs. They also prefer to

work in groups, so the problem-based learning module will be designed to support this type of

collaboration in which role descriptions are recommended for their learning.

The Data suggests that learners who do not believe that available resources exist will not

be motivated to apply learned skills, so, it is important for our problem-based learning module to

include a number of resources for the students to use in order to accomplish their tasks (Tessmer
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 14
and Richey, 1997). We plan to include resources such as election tools, voter trends, campaign

strategy, and other learners.

The design of our instruction can be adapted for a variety of learning strategies. The teacher

(tutor) will be acting as the expert, where the students can consult with the tutor to get additional

resources or ask questions. In order to meet a variety of learning styles, resources will be facilitated

in a variety of ways such as audio, video and visual aids. Audio resources may include political

podcasts from competing parties as well as audio clips from direct lecture (using Voki). Videos

may include debate clips instructing students on how to structure their own debates as well as

instructional films detailing the layout of the electoral college. Visual aids may include

infographics on the voting registration process as well animated illustrations of the different roles

in the electoral college.

Also, we included projects for students to support cooperative learning and to increase peer

interaction. These included the opportunity to create interactive presentations (using Prezi) and

animations (using Animoto) on the registration process through which to comment and critique

one another. In their cumulative project, learners also worked in teams to create a candidacy and

campaign strategy through collaborative Web 2.0 tools.

Potential learning constraints for this instruction include a lack of the tutor’s proficiency in

technology and their role as a tutor. While tutors will go complete their own training to get prepared

for this problem-based learning, ensuring that they stay proficient in the technology and their role

as a tutor is important. Another potential constraint is the learners’ perceptions and motivation to

learn the content and learner’s preferences when it comes to collaborative work or elearning

environment .

Instructional Plan and Strategies


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 15
Brief Context and Needs of the Project

Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS) aims to better prepare their students to participate

in elections when the students become eligible to vote in U.S. and North Carolina elections.

However, the WCPSS administration reported a 25% decrease in the North Carolina End-of-

Course Test of Civics and Economics for 10th grade students over the last 3 years. Thus, they

contacted our consulting firm in September 2015 with the need of an intervention to increase the

scores of their 10th grade students in the North Carolina End-of-Course Test of Civics and

Economics over the next school year.

There are five standards built into the 2010 North Carolina North Carolina Essential

Standards (NCES) for Civics and Economics in 10th grade, and the End-of-Course Test of Civics

and Economics measures:

● students’ understanding of topics such as the American political system, basic values and

principles of American democracy,

● how the government established by the United States Constitution embodies the purposes,

values, and principles of American democracy,

● how state and local government is established by the North Carolina Constitution, and

● how students can have active roles as a citizen at the local, state, and national levels of

government.

Our firm wanted to approach the test score issue from multiple levels to ensure all

information sources were utilized. In addition to the data that the WCPSS administration provided,

we aimed to collect additional data to determine that instruction is the appropriate solution for this

problem.

Thus, we took the following steps in collecting data:


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 16
● inspected the section results of the end-of-course test from the past three years to identify

any patterns or trends,

● administered a pre-test to determine any knowledge gaps,

● reviewed the current NC Civil and Economics curriculum to determine if there was any

misalignment between test content and curriculum,

● directed a survey at the students, instructors, and administration with the intention of using

the responses to provide a qualitative context to the test scores,

● consulted literature to find any previous mention of this issue within other school systems,

and

● reviewed national data on election and voting results with the purpose of distinguishing if

this is a micro or macro problem.

Goals of the Project

Based on our research and findings, our problem-based learning module adopts pre-

established NCES standards and integrates Web 2.0 tools to support 21st century skills. The

primary goals of our project are as follows:

● to supplement existing 10th grade Civics and Economics curriculum in WCPSS with a

problem-based module that allows students to participate in a ‘mock’ election, and

● to increase not only the students’ motivation but also increase the North Carolina End-of-

Course Test of Civics and Economics results for 10th grade students in WCPSS.

The specific objectives for this module are for the sample 10th grade students in WCPSS

to students to:

● Create a mock political candidate (running for a local government position)

● Analyze and determine a political campaign strategy


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 17
● Communicate and promote the candidate in preparation for the upcoming election

● Create instruction for eligible voters that describes how these voters can register and

participate in the upcoming election

● Determine how to motivate eligible voters to participate in the upcoming election

● Describe how the results of the election will be tallied

Learning Goals
Based on the goals of the problem-based learning module, the learning goals for students
are to:

1. Use the resources provided by the tutor, create a mock political candidate (running for a local

government position). Students will select the candidate’s desired government position and

political affiliation.

2. Use the resources provided by the tutor, analyze and determine a political campaign strategy.

Students will outline this strategy using Prezi.

3. Communicate and promote the candidate in preparation for the upcoming election. Students

will promote the candidate in at least one way for the purpose of this project (ie, television, website,

radio ad).

4. Create instruction for eligible voters that describes how these voters can register and

participate in the upcoming election. Using resources provided by the tutor, students will use a

Web 2.0 tool to create instructions that detail the voting process. Students can pick from one of

the Web 2.0 tools that the tutor will have listed.
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 18
5. Determine how to motivate eligible voters to participate in the upcoming election. Using

resources provided by the tutor, students should select and demonstrate at least one strategy (for

the purpose of the project) for how they will motivate voters to participate.

6. Describe how the results of the election will be tallied. Using resources provided by the tutor,

students will create a presentation that demonstrates their understanding for how the election will

be tallied. Students will create this presentation using one the Web 2.0 tools that the tutor will have

listed.

Objectives

Aligned with the learning goals, the specific learning objectives are as follows:

1. In preparation for a mock election, students will list the major political parties of the United

States and record at least 5 of their main views.

2. In groups, students will differentiate between the views of political parties and select a

candidate for election.

3. Given a list of current events, students will devise a campaign strategy and platform aligned

to the views of a political party for their candidate and identify key areas of voter motivation.

4. Students will identify the requirements for voter registration and tallying methods for votes

based on current US standards.

5. Students will organize a debate utilizing the previously devised strategies and platforms for

evaluation and election of candidates.

6. Students will appraise and criticize results of mock election based on votes and previously

devised campaign strategies.

Overview of Instructional Plan


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 19
Our instructional plan is closely aligned by the issue previously described, target audience,

and use of problem-based learning (PBL). While the internal process of learning is facilitated

using PBL, our external strategy of instruction will incorporate some of Gagné’s events of

instruction to model and construct the lessons. Gagné believed that instruction is "a deliberately

arranged set of external events designed to support internal learning processes" (Gagné and

Driscoll, 1988). We believe Gagné’s processes will make it easier for students to achieve our

previously mentioned goals and coordinating them with our objectives. The material itself goes

beyond declarative knowledge and is instead inclusive of higher cognitive discourses. These

include, but are not limited to: evaluating, analyzing, and creating, which come from Bloom’s

Taxonomy. Based on the repetitive use of these higher cognitive discourses, the project’s task

analysis model features step by step procedures for each goal with a focus on the end result being

higher order thinking and the retention of long-term knowledge.

As outlined previously, the objectives were formed to ensure the goals of instruction would

be accomplished. Students will be readily informed about each objective prior to the

commencement of the lessons. There will be expectations of prior knowledge that were discussed

in our prerequisites. New material will be presented and generated in the form of political

resources that student groups must research with guidance from the instructor (tutor), and concept

applications that students create within their groups. Essential to the acquirement of this new

knowledge is the practice, communication, and participation of the election process. Also, there

is the importance of examples and non-examples that facilitate learning as expressed by Gagné

(Gagné, Briggs, Wagner, 1992). This gives the target audience a frame of reference for the election

material. Lastly, students will be assessed on their progress and provided proper feedback.
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 20
Assessment will be implemented using both written assignments and verbal interactions with the

tutor. More concrete assessments will be provided in the detailed instructional plan.

Detailed Instructional Plan

The detailed instructional plan is outlined here. Each phase will take place over the

course of one week (totalling 9 weeks of instruction):

1. Introduction: The problem-based learning module will be introduced in a classroom

setting by the Instructor, who is also serving the role of the tutor. Learning objectives will

be provided, groups will be assigned, and expectations about the course and its content

will be discussed. At this time, students will also be given access to the Weebly site.

2. Introduction Activity: In groups, students will complete the first task of the instruction,

which is to review a list of online resources provided by the tutor, list each of the major

political parties in the U.S., and record at least 5 of each party’s main view. Students will

then “tweet” these findings on Twitter using a specific hashtag set up for the class. This

task is classified on Bloom’s Taxonomy as remembering when recalling objective

information and as evaluating when it requires students to apply the information to their

own views.

3. Problem-Based Learning Phase 1: Next, groups will review an overview of the problem-

based learning steps and will designate roles and responsibilities within their group. At

this point, they can begin their first step of the problem-based learning instruction. Using

resources found on Weebly (including political podcasts, debate videos, instructional

films detailing the layout of the electoral college, and infographics on the voting process),

students will create a mock political candidate. This requires the students to have

objective knowledge of the makeup of a political body and information-processing ability


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 21
to understand and apply the qualities and aspirations of a political candidate from

multiple parties. Students will communicate their candidate’s information to the tutor and

to the class on the Weebly site.

4. Problem-Based Learning Phase 2: Next, groups will create a strategy for how their mock

candidate will be promoted in the upcoming election. They will create a Prezi

presentation to outline their strategy and post this on Weebly. This is classified as

creating because students are planning, designing, and inventing a product to teach

information to others. Groups will be given feedback by the tutor before proceeding to

the next step in the process.

5. Problem-Based Learning Phase 3: Next, groups will communicate and promote their

mock candidate for the upcoming election, and this requires students to analyze the

political candidate and the climate in order to evaluate the best method of promotion

and/or communication. Students can use any Web 2.0 tools when piloting this

communication, and the tutor will be a resource to provide feedback and guidance during

this part of the instruction. During this part of the project, students will also be required

to comment on other groups’ work on the Weebly site.

6. Problem-Based Learning Phase 4: Next, groups will create instruction for voters on how

to vote in the upcoming election, which requires them to recall objective information on

the registration and voting process as well as to formulate it into a presentation which

transfers objective knowledge. Students can use any Web 2.0 tool when presenting this

information, and it will also be posted on the Weebly site.

7. Problem-Based Learning Phase 5: Next, groups will determine and outline their plan for

how to motivate eligible voters to participate, which requires them to produce and
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 22
distribute surveys, conduct research, and use evaluation skills to build a strategy.

Students can use any Web 2.0 tool when presenting this information, and it will also be

posted on the Weebly site. During this part of the project, students will also be required to

comment on other groups’ work on the Weebly site.

8. Problem-Based Learning Phase 6: Next, groups will outline how votes will be tallied,

which requires them to use recall skills to confer objective information to the voter. It

also requires them to use Web 2.0 skills to present the information logically and in a way

that students can recall later. This will be posted on the Weebly site.

9. Conclusion: The last phase of the course provides opportunity for the students to reflect

what they have learned. They will take a post-test (so that results can be compared to the

pre-test scores in order to measure effectiveness of the instruction). They will also

respond to reflective questions that the tutor posts, and will be required to comment on

responses posted by classmates.

The content is sequenced in a way to help the students achieve objectives in an efficient

and effective manner. Most of the learning objectives are arranged in a sequence suggested by

procedure, meaning that in order for students to research, plan and implement a campaign

strategy, they first need to select a mock candidate and his/her running platform. The sequence

also follows Gagne’s prerequisite method, where skills build upon one another as the students

move through the phases of the problem-based learning course (Morrison, et al., 2013).

Instructional Strategies

1. Create a mock political candidate (running for a local government position).

For the goal of creating a mock political candidate, the chosen instructional strategy is

cooperative learning. Cooperative learning increases student engagement and allows the students
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 23
to build relationships with the content through each other. This can be done in small or large groups

depending on the task. The students will be working in groups to build a political situation from

the ground up and then to implement it using a carefully constructed plan. This supports the

objective of creating a political candidate because the job is a larger one with smaller sub goals

and individual roles, thus lending itself to group work and independent responsibility in a larger

project setting. These individual roles help the student to be assessed because they provide

formative goals along the way to a summative assessment. They also show the independent

student’s progression apart from the larger group. Using collaborative learning for this goal

matches with inquiry-based learning theory, which asks students to look at a larger problem and

then work to solve it, putting theory into practice (AIBL). By collaboratively working to create a

political candidate and by using individual skills to contribute to a larger goal, students are

developing communication skills in order to research and then fix a problem.

2. Analyze and determine a political campaign strategy.

To analyze and determine a political campaign strategy, students are using identifying and

comparing/contrasting to look at a larger amount of recall information and separate it into

manageable amounts for evaluation. An example of this in practice would be that the students will

construct T-charts to separate political parties and to list different positions and views of those

parties in opposition to one another. They will then use this information to evaluate the popularity

of their party in the current political environment. The strategy of identifying, comparing, and

contrasting supports the objective because separating the information is the first step to analysis.

It also supports the sub-objectives because looking at similarities and differences in the

information allows the students to determine which party fits their overall goals more effectively.

This instructional strategy fits with our assessment methods because assessment is formative and
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 24
requires the students to demonstrate that they comprehend the importance of the analysis before

they move onto the next step. By analyzing and then choosing a candidate, students will

demonstrate understanding. Using comparing and contrasting matches with Subsumption theory,

which dictates that new information fits into cognitive models by being reorganized in the

student’s mind in comparison to other information (Learning Theory Fundamentals). This theory

supports our instructional strategy for this goal because it asks students to break down new and

larger information into manageable chunks.

3. Communicate and promote the candidate in preparation for the upcoming election.

To communicate and promote their candidates for the election, students will be supported

by the analyzing as well as generating and testing hypotheses. students will analyze the political

environment and determine the best promotion strategies, but they will also generate a theory of

communication to be returned to for iterative development if necessary. For example, students may

analyze the political environment and determine that social media is the best way to communicate

their platform. Thus, they may design Twitter pages for their candidate. However, after initial

design, the students may discover that Twitter is not a suitable campaign for their age demographic.

They will return to their original hypothesis and alter the controls to better suit the audience. This

supports the objective of communication because communication is also iterative and it is the goal

that the students discover that one strategy will not apply to all audiences. It supports the sub-

objectives, including determining the best promotion strategies, because it requires students to use

multiple steps to find a final product that works. Assessment, which will be based on this iterative

process, is supported by the hypotheses instructional strategy because both allow for revision and

application to a new product. Using hypotheses is supported by the Action Learning Model theory

because the theory asks students to use open questioning in order to reach a solution, which then
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 25
closes questioning (George Washington University, 2004).In this theory, the solution is also real-

world based, fitting with the applicable model of a political candidate.

4. Create instruction for eligible voters that describes how these voters can register and

participate in the upcoming election.

To create instruction, students will use collaboration as well as nonlinguistic deliverables.

Collaborative learning supports the objective because it asks students to contribute individual

talents to a larger group deliverable. Because the students will be creating instruction that does not

rely only on direct instruction, nonlinguistic deliverables will feature in the final product. For

example, to inform potential voters, groups may use infographics, storyboards, or models to

communicate objective information on the voting process. This supports the objective because

nonlinguistic deliverables seeks to use multiple methods to reach the student. Because

collaborative learning also utilizes multiple skill levels, it also suits the sub-objectives which

require roles in a larger group setting. Assessment is measured on the individual contributions to

a final product as well as the effectiveness of the final product at communicating the recall

information. Because of this, collaborative learning supports individual instruction and allows the

students to demonstrate understanding in multiple settings. Using nonlinguistic models and

collaborative learning is supported by Elaboration Theory. Elaboration Theory dictates that the

instruction increases in difficulty as it is created while seeking to support multiple levels of

learning (A Critical Review of Elaboration Theory). This supports the collaborative and

nonlinguistic instructional strategies because instruction builds gradually using multiple efforts to

achieve an effective end.

5. Determine how to motivate eligible voters to participate in the upcoming election.


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 26
To determine how to motivate eligible voters, students will write and distribute surveys,

gather results, and analyze them to determine objective and subjective reasons for audience

participation. Because this requires analysis and evaluation, collection and summarizing will be

used as instructional strategies to accomplish the objective. For example, students may ask the

target audience whether they had any interest in voting and then a series of yes or no questions to

determine why or why not. The results would then be collected in a spreadsheet and tallied for

summary. Summary analysis would look like small explanations following data collection to

explain the differences between columns and to allow the students to draw conclusions. This

supports the objective of determining voter motivation because students are required to look at

results, summarize, and evaluate for commonalities and differences. It supports the sub-objectives

of measuring and evaluating by having students move through data towards a finishing goal.

Assessment, which is based on the student showing that he or she can draw conclusions, fits with

the instructional strategy of summarization which asks the student to shrink large data into

verifiable conclusions. This is supported by Bloom’s Taxonomy, which lists analyzing and

evaluating as two higher order thinking skills required to build up to the highest step of creation

(Center for Teaching). Because the objective and instructional strategy support these skills, the

student is growing.

6. Describe how the results of the election will be tallied.

To describe how the results of the election will be tallied, students will recall objective

information and then present that information using Web 2.0 tools. Because this requires recall

and creation, students will be using cooperative learning. Working in groups, students will pool
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 27
prior and new information and then work together to create a presentation which reaches the target

audience. Collaborative learning supports the objective because it gives individual roles as well as

allowing students to bring unique views to create a final product. It supports the sub-objective of

recall because multiple group members can contribute to the pool of information. Assessment,

which will be based on the effectiveness of the final product and the progression to the summative

assessment, fits with the instructional strategy because it uses formative measurement as well as a

culminating project. This is supported by Bloom’s Taxonomy, which lists the creation step as the

highest in the list of higher order thinking skills (Center for Teaching). It also supports the

describing objective because students teaching other students reaches that modeling step.

Weebly Site Outline and Example

Here is a high level outline for the Weebly site:

● Page 1 - Introduction: Objectives, Assign Groups, PBL Process, Tutor’s information List

of Web 2.0 tools that can or will be used during the course (includes Prezi, Animoto,

Voki, Slide Rocket, ThingLink, Screen-O-Matic, Powtoon, Jing and YouTube).

● Page 2 - Resources: Video (Debate clips; Films on Electoral College), Audio (political

podcasts; direct lecture (using Voki)), and Visual aids (infographics on the voting

registration process as well animated illustrations of the different roles in the electoral

college)

● Page 3- Phase 1 (link to Google doc where students will list their mock candidate)

● Page 4 - Phase 2 (students will post their Prezi presentation on their campaign strategy)

● Page 5 - Phase 3 (students will post their pilot communication using a Web 2.0 tool);

discussion board is also there so they can comment on one anothers’ work)

● Page 6 - Phase 4 (students will post Web 2.0 presentation on voting process)
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 28
● Page 7 - Phase 5 (students will post their voter motivation strategy using a Web 2.0 tool);

discussion board is also there so they can comment on one anothers’ work)

● Page 8 - Phase 6 (students will post their voter motivation strategy using a Web 2.0 tool);

discussion board is also there so they can comment on one anothers’ work)

● Page 9 - Conclusion (includes post-test on Quizlet); includes discussion board with

reflective questions posted by tutor.

Here is an excerpt from Page 1 (the Introduction) for the Weebly site:

TITLE: “Welcome to the Problem-Based Learning Module on Voting and Elections”

INSERT image of American citizen casting vote

TEXT: “By the end of this 9-week learning module, you will:

● Create a mock political candidate (running for a local government position)

● Analyze and determine a political campaign strategy

● Communicate and promote the candidate in preparation for the upcoming election

● Create instruction for eligible voters that describes how these voters can register and

participate in the upcoming election

● Determine how to motivate eligible voters to participate in the upcoming election

● Describe how the results of the election will be tallied”

VOKI (talking head with audio): “Within your groups, you will move through several phases of

learning. Each phase has a specific tab across the top of your screen. Please reach out to your

Tutor with any questions.”

TEXT: “Your tutor is (insert name), and she can be reached at (insert email address).”

TEXT: “During the course of this module, you will be required to report your findings or learnings

using a Web 2.0 technology. Here are acceptable tools you can use when directed:
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 29
● Prezi (with link to website)

● Animoto (with link to website)

● Voki (with link to website)

● Slide Rocket (with link to website)

● ThingLink (with link to website)

● Screen-O-Matic (with link to website)

● Powtoon (with link to website)

● YouTube (with link to website)”

Evaluation Plan

Purpose and Overview

The purpose of the evaluation plan for this problem-based instruction is to measure the

success of the instructional intervention. The evaluation plan includes:

● a formative evaluation: surveys will be provided to students and the teacher before, during,

and after our design in order to make enhancements on its effectiveness and level of

engagement with students (see Appendix C),

● a summative evaluation: a pre-test and post-test will be administered to the students in

order to determine that learning has taken place; this addresses the second Level of

Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model (Larson & Lockee, 2014) (see Appendix D), and

● additional summative evaluation: students will be evaluated on a criterion-referenced

rubric that addresses the specific course learning objectives (see Appendix E).

In addition, the effectiveness of the project in its entirety will be determined by reviewing

results of the End-of-Course Test of Civics and Economics for the upcoming academic year as

compared to the last 3 years for 10th grade students in WCPSS. Due to a trend of lower scores as
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 30
reported in our initial investigation, our project will be considered successful if 80% of the student

sample experiences an increase in scores.

Formative Evaluation

The assessments found in problem-based learning are not always in line with the goals of

problem-based learning and are mostly developed to test content knowledge instead of testing self-

directed learning, problem solving and skills as a group member (Sluijsmans et al., 2001).

Segers and Dochy (2001) have indicated that students’ perceptions of the learning–

assessment environment, based on former learning experiences and their recent experiences, have

an important influence on their learning strategies and affect the quality of their learning outcomes.

In addition, looking for students’ perceptions of the learning-assessment environment seems to be

a valid method to show teachers ways to improve the learning-assessment environment.

The existing evidence supports the identification of feedback as the central component of

formative assessment that aimed to assist the development of the student and provide information

about the existing gap between the actual and desired levels of performance (Rushton, 2005).

Thus, we plan to implement survey questions for the students and teachers (tutors) at the

following increments during the problem-based learning module:

Survey 1 at Course Introduction: The goal of this survey is ensure there is clear

understanding of course and expectations (Appendix C)

Survey 2 at Week 4: The goal of this survey is to determine what areas of the course are

confusing and what should be changed, if anything, in order to make the course more effective

(Appendix C)

Survey 3 at Week 8 or 9 (as course wraps up): The goal of this survey is to determine what

areas of the course have been most effective (Appendix C)


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 31
Summative Evaluation

The audience of the summative evaluation is a sample of 10th grade students in the Wake

County public school system. Their environment is a traditional classroom setting with structure

and with Common Core as the educational content. Evaluation must take into account their

physical characteristics, such as attention limitations depending on their age and other dynamics.

Evaluation must also take into account their emotional and social characteristics, such as the need

for group acceptance and the benefits of using social interaction to reinforce new knowledge.

The objective for the summative evaluation is to provide concrete proof of a difference

between pre and post knowledge. The objective of evaluation is also to show that the student will

be able to carry the learned information beyond the module to be used for authentic purposes. The

purpose of the summative evaluation will be to provide both an objective measure of the difference

between pre and post knowledge as well as a comprehensive look at the success of the final project.

It will consist of a pre and post quiz on the objective information taken from the common core

standards and the final part will be a rubric measuring the student’s ability to reproduce the

information and use it for creation.

The method of summative evaluation will include a pre and post survey as well as a rubric

evaluating a final project. This is related to our goals because our evaluative method measures

progress periodically as well as summatively. Our goals, which ask students to build their

knowledge gradually and to move up on Bloom’s Taxonomy, match up well with our evaluation

methods because summative evaluation is not only objective, but also includes an authentic

assessment. The rubric and final project ask students to recreate the knowledge using their own

skill level as well as to teach their peers. This is supported in many kinds of learning, but

particularly in learning transfer theory, which suggests that students must first learn problem-
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 32
solving theory before being able to apply it (Transfer of Learning). This is supported in our

evaluation because students take objective information on the election and then apply that

information to creating an effective candidacy. Overall, the building of skill level and the inclusion

of Bloom’s Taxonomy show that our summative evaluation is well suited to our goals and

objectives, which ask that students recall and then practice.

Prototype

Link to Weebly Site: http://votingandelectionspbl716.weebly.com/

Aesthetics

The problem-based learning module is hosted on a Weebly site and defaults to the

Introduction Page. Aesthetically, the website will be visually simple and linear so students can

concentrate on the importance of content and focus on the message of the Web 2.0 tools. This

means that the content will be designed in a list fashion so that the user is only given the

information in steps, rather than in large blocks. This is to encourage chronological completion of

activities. The color palate of the background and font will be somewhat muted since there is an

abundance of media with vivid colors. In addition, white space will be used to frame videos and

media content to better allow the user to focus on new content.

Introduction Page

When students first start the module, the Introduction page, a welcome message and the

the following problem-based learning goals will appear:

“Hello! Welcome to Voting and Elections, Problem Based Learning module. In this course,

you will work in small groups to:

● Create a mock political candidate (running for a local government position)

● Analyze and determine a political campaign strategy


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 33
● Communicate and promote the candidate in preparation for the upcoming election

● Create instruction for eligible voters that describes how these voters can register and

participate in the upcoming election

● Determine how to motivate eligible voters to participate in the upcoming election

● Describe how the results of the election will be tallied”

The goals will then be followed by the learner objectives, instructions on how to navigate

through the module, and the contact information of the tutor.

“On this page you will find the objectives of the module and your assigned groups. You

can navigate the site by clicking on the link provided at the bottom of each page or by selecting

the navigational tabs sequentially at the top of each page. As soon as you are finished with this

page, move forward to the Resources page. If you have any questions or concerns you can contact

your tutor by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.”

By the end of this 9-week learning module, you will:

1. list the major political parties of the United States and record at least 5 of their main

views in preparation for a mock election.

2. differentiate between the views of political parties and select a candidate for election in

groups.

3. devise a campaign strategy and platform aligned to the views of a political party for their

candidate and identify key areas of voter motivation.

4. identify the requirements for voter registration and tallying methods for votes based on

current US standards.

5. organize a debate utilizing the previously devised strategies and platforms for evaluation

and election of candidates.


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 34
6. appraise and criticize results of mock election based on votes and previously devised

campaign strategies.”

Under the learning objectives, students will find their group information (ie, a list of assigned

group members).

Then, the problem-based learning process at a high-level will be described with the use of

a Voki. Students will listen to a Voki character describe the problem-based learning process and

set expectations for the 6 phases of learning in the course. The script will be as follows:

“Problem-based learning means that you will be gradually building on your set of skills.

You will first recall information you have already learned and then use that information

to start a discussion of the political process. Next, you will apply new knowledge to the

process by analyzing the differences between political processes. Finally, you will

evaluate the information and create a product that encompasses your own thoughts and

ideas. As you are moving through the six phases of learning, you will be slowly building

your higher-order thinking skills. You are expected to complete each phase to the best of

your ability so that you are prepared for those that follow.”

Lastly at the bottom of the Introduction page, the tutor’s contact information will be listed

(ie, name and email address) because the tutor serves as the “help” function for the module. At the

bottom of the Introduction Page, there will be a link to the Resources page for easy navigation.

Users will also be able to move back and forth between pages in order to reference past

information.

Resources
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 35
After students have reviewed the Introduction page, they are directed to Resources Page

by clicking the link at the bottom of the page. This page includes a Padlet where students can

explore the Web 2.0 tools available to them during the course. Web 2.0 tools are incorporated in

our module as these tools help teachers to adopt more learner-centered, participatory or

collaborative practices (Tambouris et al., 2012).

By clicking on images and links inside the Padlet, students can review each of the following

types of Web 2.0 tools:

● Prezi (with link to website)

● Animoto (with link to website)

● Voki (with link to website)

● Slide Rocket (with link to website)

● ThingLink (with link to website)

● Screen-O-Matic (with link to website)

● Powtoon (with link to website)

● YouTube (with link to website)

The Resources page also includes a Padlet where students can select other resources to

review. By clicking on images and links inside the Padlet, they can review each of the following

resources:

● Videos that include highlights and clips from past debates as well as an instructional film

on the Electoral College

● Links to political podcasts

● Visual aids that describe the voting registration process

Problem-Based Learning Phases


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 36
After students have reviewed the Introduction and Resources, they will navigate to each of

the Phases by using buttons found at the top or bottom. There is one button/link per phase, or

week, which keeps the course organized and easy to follow. These will be shown in a 1 out of 6

format which allows the user to move back and forth between pages if he or she needs to reference

past information. Each of the pages will look similar; however, since each learning phase includes

unique instruction, there are a few differences:

● Phase 1 includes a link to a Google doc where students will list their mock candidate

○ PBL Prompt - Using this page, research the following and then list your mock

candidate by using the Google doc link:

■ Major political parties of the United States

■ Current prominent leaders of each party

■ Social, fiscal, and foreign policy issues of each party

■ 3 current events related to the policies of each party and how the party is

involved

● Phase 2 includes a discussion board where students will post a link to (or saved file) of

their Prezi presentation on their campaign strategy

○ PBL Prompt - With help from your “tutor”, each group will represent a different

political party. Building on the knowledge from Phase 1, choose a candidate within

your group to run in a mock election. You must create a campaign strategy and

political platform for each candidate based on the views and policies of your chosen

political party and post a link to the discussion board (or saved file) of your Prezi

presentation on your campaign strategy.


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 37
● Phase 3 includes a discussion board where students will post a link to (or saved file) of

their pilot communication using a Web 2.0 tool; they will also comment on each group’s

work using the discussion board.

○ PBL Prompt - Using the discussion board, each group should post their platform

and campaign strategies justifying its use. Each group should also explain how

their views pertain to current events.

● Phase 4 includes a discussion board where students will post a link to (or saved file) of

the voting process using a Web 2.0 tool; they will also comment on each group’s work

using the discussion board.

○ PBL Prompt - Using any resource from Phase 1, or verifiable/respectable source

on the internet, students will research the US voting process. Groups will also

choose any presidential election from the past 20 years and identify any

shortcomings or issues that contributed to the runner-up losing the election.

● Phase 5 includes a discussion board where students will post a link to (or saved file) of a

Web 2.0 presentation on how votes will be tallied; they will also comment on each

group’s work using the discussion board.

○ PBL Prompt - Using the research from Phase 4, groups will make a discussion

post describing the electoral college and any flaws they see in the process.

● Phase 6 includes a discussion board where students will post a link to (or saved file) of

their voter motivation strategy using a Web 2.0 tool; they will also comment on each

group’s work using the discussion board.


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 38
○ PBL Prompt - PBL Prompt - After the mock election is completed, each student

will write a short blog post identifying their motivation and choices regarding

their choice of candidate.

Conclusion

At the end of the course (after completing all learning phases), they are directed to click on

the link at the top of the page for the Conclusion Page. This page includes an embedded post-test,

which will be hosted by Quizlet. Below the Quizlet will be a discussion board, where students

will answer reflective questions about the course that have been posted by the tutor.

References

Association for Inquiry-Based Learning. What is IBL?. Transformative Experiences for Students.

Retrieved from http://www.inquirybasedlearning.org/?page=What_is_IBL.


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 39
Cammaerts, B., et al. (2013). The Myth of Youth Apathy: Young Europeans’ Critical

Attitudes Toward Democratic Life. American Behavioral Scientist, 58(5), 645-664.

Center for Teaching. Bloom’s Taxonomy. Vanderbilt University.

https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/.

Chang, V. (2010). Obama and the power of social media and technology. European

Business Review, 16-21.

Durrington, V. A., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student

interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching, 54(1), 190-193.

Finlay, A. and Flanagan, C. (2009, September 1). CIRCLE Working Paper #67 Making

Educational Progress: Links to Civic Engagement During the Transition to Adulthood.

The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement.

Galston, W. A. (2001). Political knowledge, political engagement, and civic education. Annual

review of political science, 4(1), 217-234.

Gagné, R. M., & Driscoll, M. P. (1988). Essentials of learning for instruction. Englewood Cliffs,

N.J: Prentice Hall.

Gagné, R. M., Briggs, L. J., & Wager, W. W. (1992). Principles of instructional design (4th ed.).

Forth Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers.

Hannum, Wallace. (2015). David Ausubel’s Theory. Learning Theory Fundamentals.

Retrieved from http://www.theoryfundamentals.com/ausubel.htm.

Journell, W. (2011). Teaching politics in secondary education: Analyzing instructional

methods from the 2008 Presidential Election. The Social Studies, 102(6), 231-241.

Larson, M. & Lockee, B. (2014). Streamlined ID: A Practical Guide to Instructional

Design. Routledge.
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 40
Lopez, M. (2006, October 1). The 2006 Civic and Political Health of the Nation: A

Detailed Look at How Youth Participate in Politics and Communities.

Marquardt, Michael J. (2004). Action Learning. George Washington University. Retrieved

from http://www.gwu.edu/~bygeorge/021804/actionlearning.html.

Malopinsky, L., Kirkley, J., Stein, R., & Duffy, T. (2000). An Instructional Design Model

for Online Problem Based Learning (PBL) Environments: The Learning To Teach with

Technology Studio.

Morrison, G., Ross, S., Kalman, H. & Kemp, J. (2013). Designing Effective Instruction

(7th ed.). NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Oregon University. (2000). Learning Theories and Transfer of Learning. Oregon Technology in

Education Council.

Rushton, A. (2005). Formative assessment: a key to deep learning?. Medical Teacher,

27(6), 509-513.

Segers, M., & Dochy, F. (2001). New assessment forms in problem-based learning: the

value-added of the students' perspective. Studies in higher education, 26(3), 327-343.

Sluijsmans, D. M., Moerkerke, G., Van Merrienboer, J. J., & Dochy, F. J. (2001). Peer

assessment in problem based learning. Studies in educational evaluation,27(2), 153-173.

Tambouris, E., Panopoulou, E., Tarabanis, K., Ryberg, T., Buus, L., Peristeras, V., Lee, D., &

Porwol, L. (2012). Enabling Problem Based Learning through Web 2.0 Technologies: PBL

2.0. Educational Technology & Society, 15(4), 238–251.

Tessmer, M. and Richey, R. (1997). The Role of Context in Learning and Instructional

Design. Educational Technology Research and Development, 45(2), 85-115.


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 41
Torney-Purta, J. (2002). The School's Role in Developing Civic Engagement: A Study of

Adolescents in Twenty-Eight Countries. Applied Developmental Science, 6(4), 203-212.

Wake County. (2014). NC Report Card 2013-2014.

https://ncreportcards.ondemand.sas.com/snapshots/920LEA_2014_LEA.pdf

Williams, M. (2014, November 4). The Youth Vote is Important for Democracy to Thrive.

Wilson, Brett., & Cole, Peggy. (1992). A Critical Review of Elaboration Theory. University of

Colorado at Denver. Retrieved from http://carbon.ucdenver.edu/~bwilson/elab.html.

Appendix A: North Carolina Essential Standards

SOCIAL STUDIES (2010) - Civics and Economics


● CE.C&G.1 Analyze the foundations and development of American government in terms of
principles and values.
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 42
● CE.C&G.1.1 Explain how the tensions over power and authority led America's
founding fathers to develop a constitutional democracy (e.g., mercantilism,...
● CE.C&G.2 Analyze government systems within the United States in terms of their structure,
function and relationships.
● CE.C&G.2.1 Analyze the structures of national, state and local governments in
terms of ways they are organized to maintain order,...
● CE.C&G.4 Understand how democracy depends upon the active participation of citizens.
● CE.C&G.4.1 Compare citizenship in the American constitutional democracy to
membership in other types of governments (e.g., right to privacy, civil rights,
responsibilities,...
● CE.C&G.5 Analyze how political and legal systems within and outside of the United States
provide a means to balance competing interests and resolve conflicts.
● CE.C&G.5.1 Analyze the election process at the national, state and local levels in
terms...

Appendix B: Questions Asked during Needs Assessment

Interviewee Questions Asked


PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 43
School Administration What is your current view of the Social Studies curriculum on
U.S. civics and politics?

Have you noticed any deficiencies with the delivery of this


content?

10th Grade High School What information is currently lacking in your Social Studies
Teachers curriculum on U.S. civics and politics?

Which U.S. civics and politics topics are the most difficult to
teach?

How much detail is currently provided to students on the U.S.


voting system and elections?

Which learning methods do your students find to be most


engaging? Can choose from the following: lecturing, simulation,
videos, textbooks, websites, hands-on activities, other

10th Grade High School Which U.S. civics and politics topics are the most interesting?
Student Choose from: American political system, basic values and
principles of American democracy, how the government
established by the United States Constitution embodies the
purposes, values, and principles of American democracy, how
state and local government is established by the North Carolina
Constitution, and how students can have active roles as a citizen at
the local, state, and national levels of government

Which U.S. civics and politics topics are the least interesting?
Choose from: American political system, basic values and
principles of American democracy, how the government
established by the United States Constitution embodies the
purposes, values, and principles of American democracy, how
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 44
state and local government is established by the North Carolina
Constitution, and how students can have active roles as a citizen at
the local, state, and national levels of government

Describe what you know about the U.S. voting system and
elections.

How likely are you to vote in your first (age-eligible) U.S.


election?

What information do you need in order to vote in your first (age-


eligible) U.S. election?

What is the importance of your vote (age-eligible) in a U.S.


election?

Which learning methods do you find to be the most engaging?


Can choose from the following: lecturing, simulation, videos,
textbooks, websites, hands-on activities, other..

Appendix C - Formative Evaluation (Survey Questions)

Interviewee Questions Asked

10th Grade High School Survey 1: What questions do the students have regarding the
Teachers course?
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 45
Survey 2: Are the students using their resources appropriately?
What areas of the course seem challenging to the students, and
why? What areas of the course seem to be working well, and
why?

Survey 3: After participating in this course in the role of a tutor,


which area of the course do you think has been most impactful
and most effective, and why? Which area(s) of the course should
be improved, and why?

10th Grade High School Survey 1: What expectations do you have regarding this course?
Student Rate your comfort/clarity level for this course after reviewing the
Course Introduction.

Survey 2: What is your favorite part of the course, and why?


What, if any, areas of the course are confusing, and why? What, if
any, areas of the course should be changed, and why?

Survey 3: Which area of the course has been most impactful and
most effective, and why? Which area of the course has been your
least favorite, and why?

Appendix D - Summative Evaluation (Pre/Post Test Questions)

1. What are the major political parties currently represented in the House of

Representatives and Senate?

I. Green Party
II. Democratic Party
III. Republican Party
IV. Constitution Party
V. Libertarian Party
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 46

A. I and II
B. III, IV, and V
C. I, II, and III
D. II, III, and IV
E. II, III, and V

2. What is a campaign strategy?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

3. What are the two main functions of a political party?

1. ___________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________

4. What are the two types of issues usually found within a political party platform?

1. __________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________

5. What are the minimum voting requirements in the US?

I. Be a US Citizen
II. At least 18 years of age by general election
III. Serve at least one year in armed forces
IV. Own at least 0.5 acres of land
V. A resident of your precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day

A. I and II
B. I, II, and V
C. I, II, and III
D. II, III, and IV
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 47
E. II, III, and V

6. What is the US Electoral College and how does it work?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

7. How many electoral votes does North Carolina have?

_______________ votes

8. How many total electoral votes are there in the US and how many electoral votes does a

candidate need to be elected US President?

______ Total Electoral Votes

______ Votes needed to become President

Appendix E - Summative Evaluation (End-of-Course Rubric)

Requirement Points

Political Candidate: Background and qualifications for candidate 10 points


are thoroughly described. Desired government position is clearly
stated. Candidate’s political affiliation is stated.

Campaign Strategy: Candidate’s mission or beliefs are presented 10 points


in clear/concise way. Strategy for at least 2-3 major political
issues are clearly defined with supportive data. Target voting
audience is stated. Prezi is correctly used to demonstrate strategy
in engaging way.
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON VOTING AND ELECTIONS 48
Communication/Promotion: Promotion for one media/method is 10 points
presented in engaging and professional manner that captures
target voting audience attention. Reason for chosen promotional
strategy is provided with supporting data and target voting
audience in mind.

Voter Instruction: Instructions are clear and easy to understand 10 points


for target voting audience. Appropriate Web 2.0 tool is used to
display these instructions.

Voter Motivation: At least one strategy is outlined for how this 10 points
candidate will motivate target voting audience. Motivation
strategy is demonstrated in appropriate way for target voting
audience.

Election Results: Web 2.0 tool is correctly used to outline how 10 points
election results are tallied. Clear and concise details are provided.

Use of Resources: Resources provided by tutor have been read 10 points


and applied throughout PBL learning module. Students have
been in contact with tutor for questions or input throughout
module.

Group Participation: Group members have effectively 10 points


collaborated in all areas of the module. Each group member has
participated and communicated effectively.

TOTAL 80 points

You might also like