Le Projet D'une École Canadienne Restructurée
Canadian
Vocational Association © CVA/ACFP 1998 |
Learner Guides
What is a learner guide?
When curriculum units have been identified, the next step in the CRSP process is to prepare a learner guide for each unit.
A learner guide is a document, addressed to the student, identifying the outcome(s) expected, the activities suggested, and the way the student can demonstrate he or she has met the expectations. The guide provides the information and instructions necessary to complete the requirements of the curriculum unit or set of learning activities.
Each learner guide should be self-contained and complete.
Kinds of guides
There are different kinds of learner guides, depending on their purpose, content, the policy of the school and the approach of the author.
Some guides are very brief instructions (1-2 pages) to the student with reference to resources and assignments; other guides are long and elaborate documents (50 pages or more) containing all the material necessary to complete the expectations of the guide, more like a self-contained workbook or textbook section.
A CRSP learner guide is between these two approaches. The suggested length is 10-15 pages of text, providing sufficient information and links to resources to motivate the student and to permit the student to understand clearly the expectations that are to be met, how these will be demonstrated, and the activities suggested.
It is also important to distinguish three levels of guides depending on how they are to be used:
All three kinds of guides have their value, but CRSP learner guides are of type (3). They are generic guides that can be used by many kinds of learners in many kinds of learning situations, in schools and regular classrooms, in distance education, in non-formal learning environments such as community centres, or independently. Other teachers and learners would likely make adaptations to the guide in the light of their specific needs and learning environments.
Essential characteristics
These are the essential features of a CRSP learner guide:
From outcomes to assessment
The essence of a CRSP learner guide is that it states clearly and links carefully the following elements:
OUTCOMES
describe what the student will be able to do when he
or she has completed the unit.
Example: to write a 750-word column for a local newspaper
STANDARDS
are the level of performance quality expected.
Example: the column would be seriously considered for publication
CRITERIA
are the elements used to judge quality.
Example: choice of topic, logic, clarity, interest, style, accuracy, quality of
research
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
are the experiences that help the student to achieve
the outcome.
Example: collecting columns of different kinds from local
and national newspapers, analyzing structure and style, selecting and
researching a topic, writing drafts and receiving feedback.
EVALUATION
is the comparison of the student’s exit ability or performance with the expected
outcome.
Example: final version of the column to be submitted is judged by a professional
journalist or editor and is submitted for publication.
The goals are clear and well defined and the rules are laid out and understood. The assessment should be consistent with these goals and rules.
Elements of a learner guide
A CRSP learner guide has the following elements:
TITLE
Name of the unit
----------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION
Why should I study the topic?
(rationale)
----------------------------------------------------------------
PRE-REQUISITES
What do I need to know before I begin?
(necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes, pretest?)
----------------------------------------------------------------
OUTCOMES
What will I know or be able to do when I am finished?
(knowledge, skills, and attitudes expected at the end of the
unit)
----------------------------------------------------------------
RESOURCES
What resources are available to help me?
(references, Internet, people)
----------------------------------------------------------------
OPTIONS
How may I meet the expectations of the guide?
(challenge for credit, follow the guide, customize the guide)
----------------------------------------------------------------
DURATION
When should my work be done?
(deadlines, normal duration for completion)
----------------------------------------------------------------
EVALUATION
How will I demonstrate I have met the expectations or
achieved the outcomes?
(product, presentation, test, standards expected, criteria used)
----------------------------------------------------------------
ACTIVITIES
What activities do I need to do?
(research, assignments, tests, etc.)
----------------------------------------------------------------
NEXT STEPS Where do I go from here?
(links to other units or courses, career possibilities, choices,
further questions)
Choosing a title
The seriousness of public education and the moral authority of the school are not compromised by having learner guide titles that are attractive and catchy.
Motivating young people to learn is no less worthy of our imaginative flights that selling them jeans, getting them to buy CDs or see films.
Routine titles
Certainly, some titles in subject areas may just want to describe what the learner guide is all about:
As might some titles in cross-disciplinary guides:
More attractive titles
But some subject guides may have more imaginative titles:
History:
Language:
Second Language:
Arts:
Physical Education:
Science:
Mathematics:
Technology:
Cross-curricular:
Some suggestions
Titles should:
Introduction
The first question a prospective learner has is this:
Why should I study the topic?
The Introduction is the first (and possibly the last) chance to engage the learner, to provide a reason for learning the topic, to attract his or her attention, and to invite the learner to continue looking at the guide.
What should be included
The Introduction must provide, in a few sentences, the rationale for studying the unit presented in the guide. This should include some or all of the following:
We are all fascinated with ceremonies and rituals; rites of passage deal with ceremonies celebrating the change from childhood to adulthood; you may find some of these ceremonies a little strange.
The principles of perspective give us a sense of depth in art, the illusion that
what is really two-dimensional appears to have three-dimensions.
Two technologies we take for granted, the clock and the lens, transformed
science and daily life in Europe.
This is an introductory tour of the learning experiences you will have in the
set of courses on building a home.
Respect for life and the related issues of abortion, capital punishment and
euthanasia can be approached from different scientific, philosophical and
religious perspectives.
You have been learning about how ecological systems work; now you will have a
chance to look at three ecological problems: depletion of the ozone layer, acid
raid and urban pollution.
A few suggestions
Islam has been getting a lot of bad publicity on television and in newspapers.
Many of us identify Islam with terrorists and fanatics with strict codes of
conduct. But Islam is a great world religion with millions and millions of
believers. Interested in learning more about it, what it shares with other
religions and how it is distinctive?
Pre-requisites
What do I need to know before I begin?
What skills will I need in order to use this guide?
Am I ready to study this unit and follow this guide?
It is important for the learner to know, right at the beginning, if there are necessary prior learnings and, if so, what they are.
Some guides are introductory to a program or sequence and require nothing special to begin. Some guides require no specific information or skills. Some guides are of general interest and open to everyone. Some guides do require some specific skills or knowledge of terminology, but these can be given at the beginning of the guide without much ado.
There are other guides that are built on previous learning: a body of information, familiarity with terminology, specific skills developed to a certain level, a willingness to work in a team, seriousness of purpose, etc. These should be spelled out at the beginning.
Identifying necessary prior learning
Sometimes, pre-requisites are obvious when you read the introduction to the guide. Reading editorials in French-language newspapers demands at least a moderate reading level in French; a unit on desktop publishing requires skills in using computers, software and word-processing.
Pre-requisites should be identified specifically in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes required for this unit. Usually general learnings such as ability to read and write can be assumed (we hope). Pre-requisites should be functional, not symbolic to make the unit look more prestigious or as a sorting device to keep large numbers of students out.
In some cases pre-requisites may be expressed in terms of prior units (a drawing unit may be a pre-requisite for a painting unit) but in most cases the specific knowledge and skills should be listed.
Pre-requisites should not be listed in terms of courses (e.g. must have passed Ancient and Medieval History before doing the Renaissance, or Algebra I is a pre-requisite for Algebra II). You don’t have to begin in Mesopotamia in order to grasp the significance of the French Revolution. It is not even clear that in every case an introductory unit is a necessary pre-requisite for an intermediate or advanced unit.
Where and how and when the prior learning took place is not usually relevant; what is important is if the prospective learner now has the necessary abilities to have a chance to succeed.
One may not have done basic French but may have spent three summers in rural Québec; many physical education and fitness skills are picked up outside of school; some learners have a natural talent and interest in reading, are well read, and don’t have to do "The Novel" before doing a unit on the study of a favorite author.
Pre-test
Many units should provide the learner with the opportunity of taking a pre-test to demonstrate readiness. A pre-test is often the first step in the process of mastery learning.
A pre-test may be:
The learner guide may also include a pre-test or check-list to help the learner determine whether he or she is ready to begin this unit. Does your present health and state of fitness suggest you are ready for orienteering? Do you enjoy surfing the Internet? Do you have trouble distinguishing colors? Do you know what the endocrine glands do?
The burden of proof for insisting on specific pre-requisites rests with the program developer and learner guide writer. Students should know what will be expected of them and have a right to "take a chance" that they can get up to speed with sufficient motivation and work.
Learning should in principle be inclusive; it should presume success, not threaten failure.
Outcomes
What will I know and be able to do when I am finished?
What will be expected of me?
NOTE: This is the most important component of the learner guide, the one that gives focus to everything else.
This section
Central to the CRSP concept of a learner guide is the statement of outcome or outcomes to be achieved. It is around outcomes that the learner guide is constructed.
What an outcome is . . . and isn’t
These are examples of statements that describe outcomes:
These are examples of statements that do NOT describe outcomes:
Defining outcome
Bill Spady, major force behind the Outcome-based education (OBE) movement in the United States, defines an outcome this way:
An outcome of significance is an acceptable, high quality, culminating demonstration of learning that occurs in an authentic performance context that really matters in the long run.
The key elements are that an outcome occurs at the end of a learning experience, involves a demonstration or action, and this takes place in an important setting.
An outcome is NOT discrete, isolated or disconnected content details and activities unrelated to major outcomes (facts, definitions, dates, rules, etc.).
Kinds of outcomes
There are two kinds of outcomes:
1. A Culminating outcome is an ultimate synthesis and application of prior learning in significant performance contexts.
Some culminating outcomes:
2. An Enabling outcome includes the essential components of knowledge, skill and performance attitudes on which culminating outcomes ultimately depend. Most learner guides are directed to one or a few enabling outcomes.
Some enabling outcomes:
Writing outcomes
In writing outcomes, AVOID words like:
know understand think
appreciate believe value
feel consider be aware of
learn acquire remember
Statements of outcomes USE words such as:
In the cognitive domain:
define distinguish state
describe classify summarize
apply deduce solve
compare design generalize
create justify judge
In the affective domain:
accept choose listen attentively
approve help volunteer
express concern defend recognize
appreciate support share
complete demonstrate practise
In the psychomotor domain:
observe listen sense
achieve a posture place hands position body
imitate perform repeat
execute improve pace
maintain originate perfect
Outcomes for a learner guide
A learner guide is usually a part of a larger course or program. An individual student may be working on a number of guides at the same time and he or she may have many guides to complete during a month or school term.
To keep things relatively simple and demands on students within reasonable bounds, a learner guide should be built around one or a small number of clearly stated outcomes.
These could involve:
All subjects contain outcomes and expectations that involve knowledge, skills and attitudes but the mix varies. Some units are more knowledge-oriented (how a catalyst works), some more skill-oriented (laboratory testing for bases) and some are more attitude-oriented (obeying safety precautions in using equipment).
Other units may involve the interplay of attitude and skill (in running a marathon), understanding and value (cultural context of Zen), or understanding and skill (using a CAD system).
Learner guide outcomes are the place where links are made (1) with the broad program or cross-curricular expectations such as communication skills and understanding of technology, and (2) with the expectations of the curriculum area, such as critical interpretation of text in English or history, understanding of the major systems of the human body, using algebra to solve problems.
To summarize
Resources
What resources are available to help me?
If the outcome to be attained is clear, the next step is to find out what resources can help the learner.
Kinds of resources
There are three kinds of resources:
(a) school-based resources
(b) community-based resources
(c) technology-based resources
School-based resources
Community-based resources
Secondary schools are increasingly turning to their local community not just for fundraising and emotional support but also for the learning resources communities can provide. Schools are trying to connect their students to the "real" world of living in the broader community and working in business and industry. Some of the major community resources are:
Technology-based resources
Technological resources available to schools and directly to learners have grown dramatically in recent years and increase daily in amount, sophistication and ease of access. The major categories are:
Resources in the learner guide
In some cases, the learner guide can direct the learner to all the resources necessary to meet the outcomes of the guide.
This is the case in many well-defined skill areas: volleyball, line drawing, introduction to playing the recorder, understanding weather data, writing French business letters, touch typing, map reading, mastering Adobe PageMill, safe driving. The guide can point to the equipment, the people with expertise, and the written explanatory material necessary to help the learner meet the outcome.
It is also the case in certain well-defined areas of knowledge where the sources of information are limited for practical purposes: the second Punic War, the sonnets of Gerard Manley Hopkins, the structure and value of the periodic table, the binomial theorem, the concept of small claims court.
Teachers who are preparing learner guides for their own students can also provide lists of all the resources in their particular school and community and update the list as needed. But CRSP guides are intended for the independent learner or the learner in any school; such guides cannot be expected to provide a comprehensive list of resources on the Second World War, the writings of Margaret Atwood or the chemistry of the blood.
In generic guides on open-ended topics, the guide can provide no more than a starting point on key resources: the best books, recent articles, key web sites, current software, selected CD-ROMs. Research must go into this list and the quality of the guide - and its usefulness - will be judged by the quality and relevance of the resources suggested, and the care with which the citations are presented. Giving a resource such as "Search the Web" is about as useful as "Look for a book."
Some suggestions
Mayle, Peter (1991). A Year in Provence. New York: Vintage Books.
Wells, Jennifer (1996). Jobs. Maclean’s, 109-11 (March 11, 1996), pp. 12-16
http://www-nais.ccm.emr.ca/schoolnet/
Options
How may I meet the expectations of the guide?
A learner may have different choices about how to proceed, depending on the policies of the school:
(1) Follow the guide
(2) Challenge for credit
(3) Propose a customized approach for approval.
Follow the guide
This will likely be the most common route a student will take. In some cases, it may be the only option permitted.
Challenge for credit
In some schools and school jurisdictions, it is possible for a student to challenge for credit, to demonstrate at the beginning that the student has met the requirements of the unit on the basis of prior learning experiences.
In the field of adult education and lifelong learning, there is growing attention being paid to prior learning assessment (PLA), procedures that permit the learner to evaluate relevant learning already acquired, to demonstrate competence, and to have prior learning assessed in determining current needs. Learning programs in secondary school should also take prior learning into consideration.
Challenge for credit works best in units that are clearly focused on skills or that lead to a clear product or performance. This is common in units in languages, certain physical education skills, computer, technical or vocational skills, and in certain skills in art and music.
The basic principle is that the student is ready, at the beginning, to demonstrate that he or she can meet the expectations of the unit. This demonstration may be done in different ways:
Challenge for credit is usually not appropriate for units that are optional (just take another option, unless there is a need for formal attestation of attainment), for units that do not have clear summative evaluation systems, for units that include processes and procedures (like teamwork) as part of the outcome expected, and for units that are cross-curricular or exploratory and are designed to provide an integrating experience (for example, a certain approach to problem solving or social commitment).
Propose a customized approach for approval
Some students may wish to propose an alternative learning experience to the one outlined in the guide and they should have an opportunity to present a proposal to the teacher or mentor for consideration. This may arise because of the special talents of a student, or unusual background, or a particular area of interest, or a unique opportunity a student may have to do something different.
For many guides this may be unnecessary because the guide already proposes alternatives in the activities suggested and in how the learning outcomes are demonstrated.
One of the results of this approach is that new ideas, directions and resources may be added to the guide as a result of the customized work of one or more students.
Duration
When should my work be done?
How long should it take?
The CRSP approach is based on outcomes and mastery models. The basic principles are that (1) expectations should be clearly set and defined, and (2) the time allowed to meet these expectations should be flexible. This gives learners experience in organizing their time and work.
The time it takes to complete a guide will vary, depending on the abilities and learning style of the learner, other commitments, the nature of the work and the attitude of the learner to the work.
Time constraints
Still, most learners work within a structure of an institution and program and these have demands. Schools continue to be in the habit of allocating fixed times for subject areas and tasks and to assign time on the basis of the alleged importance and difficulty of the unit. Learners will not be entirely free of time pressures to "get on" with the units, to meet certain deadlines, not to get "behind."
There are other constraints of semesters and years, the need to move on to other levels or programs, of availability of resources, of natural deadlines built into certain units, of the need to track progress, assess achievement, and report on standing within a program.
If a student’s whole learning program is divided into units with learner guides (a full CRSP implementation), and if all these units are of equal importance (1 math unit = 1 art unit = 1 PE unit = 1 history unit =1 English unit), then the learner has a rough idea of how much time should be devoted to each unit, somewhere in the range of 10 to 20 hours of combined instruction, study, and activity. In some units, this time may be concentrated in a short duration (a few days of intensive work, perhaps), in other units it may be distributed over a longer period of months (an hour a week for a term).
Need for guidelines
If a student is to plan a program and use of time effectively, he or she must have some guidelines about expected duration or deadlines. Otherwise, there is a danger students will devote an enormous amount of time to topics that interest them and only glancing attention to those of less appeal but perhaps of no less importance.
Suggested duration should be expressed in hours or days of work, not in terms of the number of class periods, since these may not be required to complete the unit or may form only one element of the activities.
Evaluation
How will I demonstrate I have met the expectations or achieved the outcomes?
There should be a smooth flow:
OUTCOME
What will I be able to do?
CRITERIA
On what basis will I be judged?
STANDARD
What level must I attain?
EVALUATION
How will I demonstrate what I can do?
FEEDBACK
How will I know how well I have done?
OUTCOME: I will take part in a formal debate.
CRITERIA: Quality of preparation, organization of argument, degree of persuasive power, logic, use of resources, appearance, use of voice, pacing, posture, courtesy ...
STANDARD: Consult video of high school debaters of different levels of accomplishment.
EVALUATION: Participation in one or two formal debates. The evaluation is not dependent on whether the team won or lost but on the quality of the argument and presentation.
FEEDBACK: Judges will explain their decision and comment on strengths and weaknesses.
The ideal of the CRSP model is that every learner can succeed, given the right combination of expectation, approach, support, resources, time and assessment.
Some key terms
Evaluation: a judgment about how good a student’s attainment is, integrating information from different sources (observation, production).
Assessment: a collection of information about a student’s progress or level of achievement (quiz, interview).
Measurement: a numerical description of achievement (80%).
Grade: a summary statement of a student’s attainment at the end of a unit (exceptional).
Criterion-referenced evaluation: the student’s success in meeting stated objectives or outcomes (attained all of the outcomes in a satisfactory manner).
Norm-referenced evaluation: the student’s relative success in relation to other students in a class or group (in the top third of all students at this age level).
Self-referenced evaluation: the student’s progress in relation to past achievement (has corrected errors in spelling and systax).
Diagnostic evaluation: pre-test to identify specific student needs in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes, often given at the beginning of a unit (will require special exercises in leading discussions)
Formative evaluation: evaluation during a unit to give feedback, direction for improvement and program adjustment (has attained two-thirds of the outcomes).
Summative evaluation: evaluation at the end of a unit or course to judge student’s attainment (an exceptionally talented cartoonist.
Outcomes and evaluation
Some outcomes lend themselves easily to evaluation. If the outcome is to play a competent game of tennis, the criteria would include knowledge of rules, proper comportment and skill in serving and returning serves. The standard would depend on the level of skill required, how good a player the novice has to become in order to complete the guide (e.g. complete one set with a comparable player). The assessment would be to play the game and demonstrate both knowledge of rules and proper behaviour. The feedback would be given by a teacher or coach (perhaps using video) and would suggest both strengths and areas needing improvement.
Other outcomes are more difficult to evaluate because they are more complex or abstract. If the outcome is to contrast the political systems of Canada and the United States, the criteria may include evidence of personal research beyond the textbook, thoughtful analysis, good writing; the standard may be the demonstration of an understanding of the issues and their implications; the assessment may take the form of an essay or oral presentation on the relationships between the executive and legislative branches of government in the two countries.
Evaluation methods
We often think of our repertoire of evaluation methods in limited terms: different kinds of written tests, quizzes, or examinations. These tend to measure a narrow band of learning outcomes, and tend to stress memorization of information, patterns of data, and procedures.
Evaluation methods include the following:
Written Examinations
Student performance
Projects
Portfolios
Teacher evaluation
Student evaluation
The nature of the outcome will influence the choice of method or methods. Many outcomes related to mastery of knowledge or skill can be evaluated by all these methods. Other outcomes related to thinking and reasoning, attitudes, complex skill patterns and longer term goals of lifelong learning can only be evaluated by such methods as projects, portfolios, and discerning teacher and student assessment.
There are two broad trends occurring in the evaluation of learning: (1) standardized district, provincial, national and international tests of skills in such areas as literacy, mathematics, and science, (2) performance assessment by teachers based on defined outcomes, standards and benchmarks. The first is more directed to the study of the achievements of systems and schools and the certification of students, the second more to the diagnosis and guidance of individual learning attainment. Learner guides deal with the second kind of evaluation.
Rubrics for evaluating attainment
Traditionally we have evaluated attainment using letter grades or percentages. Often a series of discrete learning activities (assignments, quizzes, tests, final examinations) are marked and the marks added for a final mark, expressed as a percentage.
As we move in the direction of performance assessment, we (a) limit the number of assessment activities, (b) integrate learning and assessment, (c) avoid a cumulative approach of adding elements, (d) avoid averages in favour of "best effort" and (e) use a more limited scale or rubric of scoring.
Scoring rubrics tend to contain four or five levels, each having a descriptor related to the subject or topic. Some examples:
S = Superior
P = Proficient
A = Acceptable
NI = Needs Improvement
E = Excellent
G = Good
S = Satisfactory
F = Poor or Failure
For both of these, there would be specific descriptors for mathematics, writing, reading, chemistry etc.
E = Extends the outcome
(creativity, exceptional work, goes beyond to new challenges)
M = Meets the outcome
(good mastery of knowledge and skills required)
I = Improving but not meeting outcome
(inconsistent, incomplete, requires direction)
N = Not yet meeting outcome
(does not grasp fundamentals, needs constant direction)
In explaining these standards of attainment, the guide should give examples of the kind of work that would match each (the characteristics of an excellent research paper, a satisfactory floor plan for a house, a good demonstration of problem solving in algebra, and a poor showing in social responsibility).
Some suggestions
The following are some suggestions for evaluation related to learner guides:
Activities
What activities do I need to do?
What choices do I have?
After the guide explains the outcomes expected, indicates the key resources available and details how the student will be evaluated, it must then explain what the student should do to complete the guide. What are the learning activities that will help the student reach the expectations and succeed?
Some initial questions
Some key questions that need to be considered by the authors of a learner guide:
Types of activities
Learning and teaching activities (or instructional strategies) can be classified in different ways. For the purpose of learner guides, the following categories may be useful:
Teacher-related activities
(discussion, questioning, brainstorming, planning, information sharing)
(diagnostic, developmental, remedial, enrichment, assessment, interviews)
(projects, excursions, productions)
Learner-related activities
Technology-related activities
Resource-related activities
These categories are clearly not mutually exclusive and are often used in combination.
Influences on learning effectiveness
Research has shown that certain activities and processes have an important effect on learning, whether this learning is taking place in a traditional classroom setting or in an informal or self-teaching learning environment.
The following pattern leads to effective learning:
Cues which show what is to be learned and how to learn it.
Engagement in which learners actively and persistently participate in learning until the learning is firmly entrenched.
Corrective feedback which remedies errors in response.
Reinforcement which gives immediate and direct reward for good practice.
An analysis of 50 years of educational research has found that the five most powerful influences on learning were:
(1) Classroom management
(group alerting, learner accountability, smooth transitions, and
teacher "with-it-ness")
(2) Metacognitive processes
(capacity to plan, monitor, and, if necessary, re-plan learning
strategies, reciprocal teaching and cognitive skill development)
(3) Cognitive processes
(general intelligence, prior knowledge, competency in reading
and mathematics, and verbal knowledge)
(4) Home environment
(effect of parental involvement on improving academic
performance and school attendance and in reducing delinquency)
(5) Student-teacher social interaction
(frequency and quality affect students’ self-esteem and sense of
membership in the class.)
References:
Waxman, Hersholt C. and Herbert J. Walberg (Eds.) (1991). Effective Teaching: Current Research. Berkeley CA: McCutchan, especially Chapter 2.
Wang, Margaret C., Geneva D. Haertel, Herbert J. Walberg (1994). What helps students learn? Educational Leadership (Dec. 1993-Jan. 1994), pp. 74-79.)
Some suggestions
Next steps
Where do I go from here?
Where has this guide led me?
What guidance does it give me for the future?
All learning should be seen as continuous, related, open-ended and lifelong. The last section of every learner guide should contain suggestions for future learning.
These might be:
When writing skills are combined with technical and scientific expertise, they open up career possibilities in the growing field of technical writing.
Example: The write stuff
The vice-principal and three teachers were sitting around talking about the need to improve the writing skills of their students. Many students who did well in science and social studies seemed to have problems expressing themselves; many good writers did not seem to transfer this skill to other subject areas. Most students saw writing as "another assignment" without any real importance.
The group decided to form a small team to develop a unit on effective written communication. It would be directed to able students who wanted to improve their skills in a real-life setting and to link writing with some area of content. The group consisted of the vice-principal, an English language arts teacher, a history teacher and a science teacher. It was decided to bring in a person from outside the school and a parent who was a former journalist agreed to join the team.
Outline
The working group met four times and came up with the following learner guide outline:
1. Title
How Do Journalists Do It? Writing for a Newspaper or Magazine
2. Why study the topic?
Journalists are professional writers. Writing is their career. To be successful they must express themselves clearly and in an interesting way. To gain and keep a good reputation, they have to be fair and accurate in what they write.
By trying your hand at the work of the journalist you can learn a lot about yourself, while developing research and communication skills. You will also improve the quality and effectiveness of your writing and learn to write about a variety of subject areas, a skill you will appreciate if you go on to post-secondary studies.
This unit gives you a chance to try your skills at being a journalist.
3. What do I need to know before I begin?
4. What will I know or be able to do when I have finished?
You will be able to:
You will also:
5. What resources are available to help me?
People
Basic style manuals
Internet
6. How may I meet the expectations?
(1) Accept an assignment from the teacher
(2) Submit a proposal for approval (maximum 3 pages), including:
7. When should my work be done?
Articles must be submitted within 3 weeks of beginning the assignment.
There will be no extension of the deadline.
8. How will I demonstrate I have met the expectations?
I will have written EITHER three 750-word columns OR one 2000-word feature article on an assigned subject, based on personal research and in co-operation with others.
The final piece of writing will be evaluated by a practising editor, journalist or writer outside the school. Other drafts and activities are not evaluated except insofar as they help you improve your final product.
Rating rubric:
Excellent: creative and provocative, publishable with only minor changes
Good: solid piece of research and writing, some modifications needed
Accepted with modifications: substantial changes to be made in content and/or style
Rejected: not of sufficient quality or interest
9. What activities do I need to do?
Activity 1: Select ONE of the following topics
Activity 2: Prepare a Plan
Activity 3: Study Models
Activity 4: Do the Research
Use the following methods, as appropriate:
Activity 5: Write a Draft
Activity 6: Prepare and Submit Final Text
Submit both hard copy and diskette.
10.Where do I go from here?
Developing the learner guide
The group then worked on a 15-page learner guide following this outline. It included several samples of different types of articles with permission of the authors, as well as references to a longer list of articles in local and national journals and magazines. It also provided a set of standards and guidelines for newspaper and magazine writing.
The guide was tested out with a group of other teachers in different areas, with the school principal, and with a couple of people in the community (editor of the local newspaper, home-based freelance writer). The guide was put up on the school’s home page and comments and suggestions were invited.
Implementation
Students in grades 10, 11 and 12 were invited to check out the guide and sign up for the unit if they were interested. The unit would be considered a major assignment in English and in another area such as history or science if approved by the teacher.
Ten students signed up for the project. The principal arranged with the editor of the local paper to publish the best work over the next couple of months, creating a regular feature called "Tomorrow’s Journalists."
At the end of the project, a report was prepared for the school staff and the parents’ council and presented by the students.
Extension
A number of other areas began to develop learner guides on the following topics:
Math and technology teachers made a proposal to work with science and humanities teachers respectively on some joint learner guides. A local cultural group offered to sponsor a series of guides on different cultural and ethnic groups in the community. Inquiries were made from other schools to register students for some of the units. The school set up a committee to study the feasibility of opening an extension program through distance education.
