Providing Narrative Context
To me nothing is worse than finding an online course whose assets are merely listed topically. In that case the classification of information provides the only clue to discovering meaning or learning the content. A proper outline is not just a list of topics; it is a system of conceptualization that organizes topics by meaningful terms, degree of importance, and level of specificity--a roadmap for comprehension in the learning process. More than that, even a proper outline is not enough. There needs to be a narrative context.Narrative context is provided in complete sentences built into paragraphs, telling the story of what it is we are to learn and why. Each asset should have a narrative introducing it, followed by narrative that links it coherently to the next asset in the sequence. Thus the same requirement for print textbooks--that there be transitions--applies no less to electronic textbooks and course packs. Brief annotations identifying the subject of a video or the title of a document, etc., does not constitute narrative context.
Even with a wealth of essentially non-text online visual stimuli, to learn anything at any level of sophistication, students still have to read.
posted by Mary Ellen Lepionka @ 11:07 AM
3 Comments:
Hi Mary Ellen,
Could you provide us with an example of such narrative context? Thanks!
Hi, there. Sure! Suppose for a module on plate tectonics you have as media assets links to a diagram of Earth's interior, a map of tectonic plates, a chart on the types of plates and plate boundaries, an article on the discovery and theory of tectonic plates, an animation of sea floor spreading, an animation of Earth's history of tectonic plate movements, a chronology of Earth's lithospheric history, a video about speciation as a result of plate separation, a video about ongoing mountain building as a result of plate collision, an interview with a leading scientist (or video of you giving a lecture demonstration in class), an animation of the rim of fire with islands rising over hot spots on the ocean floor, NASA satellite photos of volcanic activity, video of a volcanic eruption at a plate boundary, photo of earthquake damage at a plate boundary, a map highlighting current plate movements, and an article on using models to predict plate movements.
Narrative context would include introductory text, introducing the subject and giving directions for using the links. Each media asset also could have a story before and/or after it. There also would be concluding text that makes a generalization or explains the significance of the information in the links.
The pedagogy could include learning objectives, a glossary of definitions of scientific terms, questions to answer after using the links, and an end-of-unit assessment or assignment of some kind.
There would be many ways to do the narrative. For example, you might have narrative interspersed with annotated URLs that students click on, or you might simply hyperlink key works in your narrative that take readers elsewhere when they click on them.
In the following incomplete example, ellipses indicate possible additional text.
"This unit is on plate tectonics, the complex movements of Earth's lithosphere....
When you have finished this module you will be able to....
Recall that the lithosphere is composed of.... The lithospheric plates ride on this asthenosphere.... View the diagram of Earth's interior and define each geologic term. Then examine the map of tectonic plates.... How many main plates are there?....
Plate boundaries are the places where plates touch.... As you can see from the chart there are different types of plates and different types of plate boundaries.... According to your analysis of the chart, on what basis are plates classified? On what basis are boundaries classified? What are the consequences of each type of plate movement? Which plate and plate boundary types describe where you live?....
Tectonic plate theory integrates earlier theories of continental drift and sea-floor spreading as causes of movements in the Earth's lithosphere.... Read the article on the discovery and theory of plate tectonics and related phenomena.... Who proposed the theory of continental drift and when? What did that theory propose and what did it leave unexplained .... Etc.
Etc.
Thus, life on Earth has been and continues to be shaped by geological dynamics in our planet's crust...
To conclude your study in this unit, investigate one of the following topics on your own... (e.g., as a homework assignment to email the instructor or to share with classmates in the chat room or in a wiki]
Click here to take the unit test when you think you are ready."
I'm tempted to go on, but it is only an example. The possibilities for narrative context are endless and may be minimal or little different from a print textbook. The amount and comprehensiveness of narrative depends on how much guiding and facilitating and integrating of learning is needed or wanted, which depends in turn on the course, the course level, the teaching goals, the learning objectives, and the state of knowledge and skills of the learners.
Hope this helps.
Thank you so much, Mary Ellen, for this vivid example of the narrative text. I appreciate your blog immensely.
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