Running head: ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 1

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY

MONTEREY BAY

Online Professional Development Learning Modules

CAPSTONE REPORT

Submitted in partial satisfaction of requirements of the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE in
Instructional Science and Technology

Jonathan Watts
December 11, 2018

Capstone Approvals: (At least one advisor and capstone instructor should approve)

___________________________ _____________
Advisor Name Signature Date

___________________________ _____________

Capstone Instructor Name Signature Date

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 4

Background ......................................................................................................................... 4

Needs Assessment ........................................................................................................... 4

Data Collection and Findings.......................................................................................... 6

Learner Analysis ............................................................................................................. 7

Context Analysis ............................................................................................................. 8

Content Analysis ............................................................................................................. 8

Literature Review.......................................................................................................... 10

Solution Description ......................................................................................................... 12

Goals, Resources and Constraints ................................................................................. 12

Learning Objectives ...................................................................................................... 13

Learning Theories and Strategies .................................................................................. 14

Test Instruments ............................................................................................................ 16

Media and Delivery System Decisions ......................................................................... 16

Instructional Strategies and Activities .......................................................................... 17

Methods and Procedures ................................................................................................... 19

List of Major Deliverables ............................................................................................ 19

Development Plan ......................................................................................................... 20

Implementation Plan ..................................................................................................... 21

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Challenges ..................................................................................................................... 21

Resources .......................................................................................................................... 21

Resource List ................................................................................................................ 21

Technical Skills ............................................................................................................. 22

Timeline ............................................................................................................................ 22

Evaluation ......................................................................................................................... 24

Formative Evaluation .................................................................................................... 24

Summative Evaluation .................................................................................................. 25

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 27

References ......................................................................................................................... 28

Appendices ........................................................................................................................ 30

Appendix A ................................................................................................................... 30

Appendix B ................................................................................................................... 31

Appendix C ................................................................................................................... 33

Appendix D ................................................................................................................... 35

Appendix E ................................................................................................................... 37
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Executive Summary
Professional development (PD) is a crucial element in continuing to improve education.
As new research emerges, teachers must stay current in their practice, always developing their
craft and increasing their relevant knowledge. Unfortunately, time and resource constraints
during the workday limit opportunities to address all the necessary topics in an effective manner.
Currently, the overwhelming majority of Sunnyvale School District’s professional development
opportunities are offered through after-school workshops, which haven’t proved to be the best
method for effectively reaching a large audience across eight elementary and two middle
schools. In addition to the barriers created by time and resource constraints, the current
professional development model offers little accountability or support for applying learned
information after training is complete.
The following outlined solution is to develop a framework for offering professional
development to teachers through online modules paired with instructional support that scaffolds
teachers’ application in the classroom. Online learning modules could potentially reach a
significantly larger audience than the after-school sessions, since the barrier of being at a specific
location and time would be removed. In addition, with time and location constraints removed,
these online learning modules can bring professional development topics directly into the
classroom for application. The first part of each set of modules will cover content and pedagogy
of the desired topic, including interactive scenario-based learning that closely mirrors the actual
classroom application. The second part will be a prescribed classroom activity putting into
practice the content and pedagogy learned from module one. Additionally, implementation of this
module will be accompanied by the pairing of an instructional coach who assists in carrying out
learned instructional strategies and future implementation.

Background
Needs Assessment
Providing effective professional development, with Sunnyvale school district’s current
model of live, in-person after-school workshops, is challenging. A more ideal situation for
professional development would be a training that takes place during the day, providing
opportunities for discussions of instructional practices as well as time for application of learning
in their own classroom. Unfortunately, there are barriers in the education profession that make
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coordination of this learning difficult. Unlike professions that provide professional development
during the workday, teachers are rarely able to leave the classroom. For a teacher to attend
training during work hours, they have to create detailed lesson plans for a substitute, for which
there is currently a shortage. A substitute is not as effective as the classroom teacher, as well, due
to lack of training and knowledge of class routines, procedures, curriculum, or instructional
strategies. For most teachers, a day out of the classroom means loss of instructional time and a
general sense of worry, which, in turn, will affect motivation in the professional development
they are attending. In addition, because of the shortage of substitutes, there are limits to the
number of teachers that can be out of the classroom for training, which greatly diminishes the
impact one professional development can have.
This leads to less-than-ideal situations for PD: after-school trainings, which compete with
teachers’ child care schedules and other life commitments; small time slots at staff meetings,
which don’t provide time for meaningful learning; or grade-level team meetings, which reach a
small audience at a time and are often packed with other agenda items to cover. Given these
limiting factors to offering effective professional development, a framework for online learning
modules will be created as an alternative form of PD.
To measure the effectiveness of this framework for professional development and display
its potential positive impact, this project focuses on a current content and instructional need of
the district. The current district-adopted math curriculum has few resources and lessons that
address instructional strategies for teaching the standards for mathematical practice, and few
opportunities for professional development have been offered on this subject. This makes the
standards for mathematical practice a compelling topic for the first of these professional
development learning modules, as it should align with teachers’ motivation and values, as well as
the district’s current initiatives to improve instruction and learning in math (Sunnyvale School
District, 2017). Teachers’ gaps in understanding how to implement the standards for
mathematical practice in student learning activities display a lack of knowledge and skills; this
lack of knowledge and skills is also apparent in students’ application of the standards for
mathematical practice as evidenced by last year’s CAASPP and this year’s district math
benchmark scores. Creating online learning modules that address the standards and guide
teachers through research-based instructional practices with their students simultaneously
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addresses the teachers’ lack of knowledge and skills for implementation, and the limiting
organizational structure for professional development.
Data Collection and Findings
To validate development of these modules, two Google Forms surveys were sent to a
variety of teachers, from grades kindergarten through fifth grade, in Sunnyvale School District.
The first survey addressed the need for alternative PD offered through online modules and the
technological complexity to which these modules could be designed. The second addressed the
gap in teachers’ knowledge and implementation of the standards for mathematical practice. Both
surveys were followed up by several individual interviews to obtain additional information about
their thoughts on answering survey questions, and to ensure that no incorrect judgments or
assumptions were made.
Responses from the first survey indicated that teachers value professional development,
are motivated to learn through the platform of an online module, and will require modules
designed with basic technological complexity. 59% of those surveyed showed interest in online
PD modules, while an additional 23% rated their interest as neutral, which, after follow-up
interviews, revealed they were simply unfamiliar with any form of online learning. This is
crucial, since without value and motivation, teachers will not “achieve proficiency in new
knowledge and skills” (Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011). Teachers also indicated their proficiency of
technology integration in the classroom through a series of questions where they placed
agreement with statements of their practice on a 1-5 point scale labeled from “Strongly
Disagree” to “Strongly Agree.” This information helps determine the complexity to which the in-
class application module is designed. Each of these questions received the majority of their
responses in the neutral category. After follow-up interviews, it was determined that a neutral ‘3’
on this scaled was viewed as “Basic Proficiency.”
The second survey revealed that the greatest opportunities for improvement in both
teacher knowledge and implementation were related to the standards of “constructing viable
arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others” and “look for and express regularity in
repeated reasoning” (California Department of Education, 2014). Since the modules will be
broken into two parts, with the first covering theoretical knowledge and the second applying that
knowledge with students, this survey asked teachers to respond separately to their knowledge
and current implementation of each standard. On a 1-4 scale with the labels of “Not very
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knowledgeable,” “Somewhat knowledgeable,” “Knowledgeable,” and “Very knowledgeable,”

35% labeled themselves as “Not very knowledgeable” or “Somewhat knowledgeable.” In regard
to implementation of these standards, only 1% of respondents implement daily, while another
30% implement less than once a week. For effective instruction to occur, teachers need to have a
solid understanding of their content and pedagogical knowledge (Shulman, 1986). Based on
these survey results, teachers have a need for improving both content and pedagogical
knowledge of the selected standards.
Information from both surveys validates the creation of these learning modules, based on
a gap in knowledge and skills, as well as the fact that teachers are motivated and willing to learn
via online learning modules. Additionally, due to time and resource constraints during and after
school hours, self-paced online professional development modules present themselves as a cost-
effective solution to offer more PD to a larger audience than would previously be possible.
Learner Analysis
The primary learners for this professional development module will be kindergarten
through fifth grade teachers in Sunnyvale School District. The students in their classroom will be
secondary learners, as they benefit from any improvement in instructional strategies and
classroom activities. According to the district’s student information system, which contains
demographic information on students and teachers, this group of teacher-learners has experience
in the teaching profession ranging from one to forty years, and consequently has varied
background knowledge of mathematics instruction and standards, as well as technological
proficiencies. Baseline knowledge can be assumed, though, as it relates to a basic familiarity of
the standards for mathematical practice and accessible technology that can be used in the
presentation and delivery of the learning module. The majority of teachers currently use
AppleTV boxes to wirelessly project iPad and laptop screens to a surface visible to students.
Each teacher has access to a laptop and iPad for professional use, and either iPads,
Chromebooks, or a combination of both, for student use. District communication is regularly sent
through Gmail, and most teachers have used additional Google products freely available to
teachers and students such as Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Forms, Google Drive, and
YouTube.
Teachers and students should all have a basic familiarity with Google Slides, which will
serve as the main delivery method of both modules. With the lack of any formal learning
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management system in the district, the commonly-used Google apps suite will help the learners
stay focused on the lesson at-hand as opposed to learning new software in order to access
content. Following suit, any necessary videos will be embedded in the slides through YouTube.
Context Analysis
Time in the teachers’ busy work schedules and home life would be the biggest constraint
to implementation of this project. The advantage offered by designing online modules will be
that teachers can divide the time spent on the first module over several days or weeks. A
disadvantage, though, is that according to the needs analysis, at least 23% of survey respondents
may be unfamiliar with online learning. To address this issue, the familiar format of Google
Slides and other Google apps is used throughout the learning modules. Since all classrooms have
a means to project the Google Slides presentation in the classroom, and all teachers have district-
provided laptops and iPads, required resources to access the learning content should not be an
issue. Professional development and improving instruction and learning in math are both
supported in Sunnyvale School District’s culture, so teachers should welcome both the model for
professional development and content focus of the module.
The willingness and close collaboration with the elementary math instructional coach, as
well as the grade-level leadership team members are essential for the development and
implementation of this project. Through various check-ins during monthly team meetings, and
frequent collaboration between the math coach and instructional designer for this project, time,
resource allocation, and work-setting constraints have little-to-no impact on the design,
development, or implementation. The beginning target audience will be approximately thirty
members from the grade-level leadership team, which range from kindergarten through fifth
grade teachers across eight elementary schools. They will be helpful in providing initial feedback
before the modules are readily available to the secondary target audience of all teachers in the
eight elementary schools.
Content Analysis
The major topics covered in this two-part module will be background content and
pedagogical knowledge in the first module, and guided application of these concepts in the
second. For teachers to effectively apply instructional strategies as they relate to the focus
standards of both math practice standards (“constructing viable arguments and critiquing the
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reasoning of others,” and “look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning”) they need to
have a firm understanding of the mathematical practice standards themselves and related
instructional strategies as they apply to the content standard of their grade level. To keep the
planned instruction cohesive between instructional strategies, routines, and vocabulary needed
for learning, the majority of the content for this module will be pulled primarily from Routines
for Reasoning: Fostering the Mathematical Practice in All Students (Creighton, Kelemanik &
Lucenta, 2016). Providing learners with training based off elements from one text will also give
them an easily accessible continuation of learning. The elementary math instructional coach
serves as the primary subject-matter expert, and conferences frequently with the instructional
designer throughout the creation of the two-part modules. Since the standards for mathematical
practice are guiding how students interact with grade-level content, and the audience for these
modules spans six grade levels, the subject-matter expert and grade-level leadership team are
instrumental throughout the module’s creation.
Module topics and tasks are as follows:

Module 1 (Content and Pedagogy):

 Standard for Mathematical Practice Components:
Teachers will read, reflect, and discuss with their peers what it means for students to
interact with mathematics and approach problem solving as described in the standards for
mathematical practice. Learners will analyze the relationship between the mathematical
practice standards, and the roles they play in supporting each other in developing
mathematical proficiency. In particular, this section will focus on mathematical practice
standards 3 and 8: “Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others” and
“look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.” Video or audio of example
classroom discussions, and short readings will be provided to give context to the
standard. Shared online spaces, such as Google Docs or Padlet, will serve as a platform
for shared discussion among participants of the module.
 Instructional Strategies and Routines:
Teachers will read about, watch, reflect on, interact with, and discuss the Recognizing
Repetition instructional routine for promoting this type of student discussion in class.
They will also provide evidence of competency in theoretical knowledge of the standards
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and appropriate instructional practices through short quizzes embedded throughout the
module.
Module 2 (Guided Classroom Application):
 Content Standard Scenario:
To engage students and provide context to the mathematical content standards at hand, a
short video will present a scenario and guiding question for students to consider. The
carefully crafted question will allow for multiple approaches to solving a problem, giving
students an opportunity for rich discussions and mathematical engagement.
 Leading the Recognizing Repetition Routine:
A series of discussion questions and directions for students, along with footnotes for the
teacher, provide the necessary supports to implement the learned instructional strategies
and routine from the first module.
 Feedback and Closure:
To validate student work, a concluding video will show one possible solution to the
guiding question. Footnotes to the teacher support the facilitation of a closing discussion
and reflection.
After participation in both modules, teachers should display mastery of the theoretical
knowledge of the standard and accompanying instructional strategies. Teachers should also be
able to implement the same instructional strategies and routine with future content standards,
using the modules and corresponding discussions from their peers as reference.
Literature Review

Professional development has always been an important element in developing educators

and improving classroom practices. Only recently, though, has the proliferation of internet-
connected devices and cloud-based software applications allowed for online spaces to be an
effective environment for teacher professional development (PD). Just within the past decade
have researchers been able to study effects of online PD as devices are more readily available,
and the majority of the population now have consistent access to the Internet. Research and
studies on the topic of professional development in education, in any form, are still as relevant to
online PD as they are to traditional PD opportunities, and should be considered when designing,
developing, and implementing online learning situations.
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Although there isn’t an abundance of research or scholarly articles recently written

specifically on the topic of online professional development, research on the development of
effective PD in general can assist in the creation of any online PD. Additionally, with each year’s
advances in technology and availability of online tools, more research is becoming available on a
wider range of online PD topics. Good instructional design is beneficial to any learning scenario,
with any medium for delivering learning or interacting with other participants.
There are certain components that should be considered in any professional development,
regardless of what technology is being utilized. Including Mishra and Koehler’s (2006) TPACK
framework, for instance, which suggests being aware of learners’ technological, pedagogical, and
content knowledge, when designing professional development, will help ensure educators have
the required knowledge sets to process the learning at-hand. As it applies specifically to online
learning, instructional designers need to assess the technological knowledge set of their learners
to ensure they can access the content, and take advantage of any instructional strategies and
learning activities as they were designed. Without considering the overlap of these three areas,
learners may not have the required skills to take full advantage of the intended learning design.
Along with ensuring that the instructional design of professional development addresses
teachers’ knowledge sets as a prerequisite to accessing learning, addressing teacher beliefs about
learning is also an important consideration. Whether the professional development is about using
technology in the classroom, fostering collaborative discussions among students, or learning how
to apply new instructional strategies, the belief systems of educators plays an important role in
the eventual implementation of this learning. Researchers such as Chen, Looi, & Chen (2009),
Ertmer, Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Sadik, Sendurur, & Sendurur (2012), and Aguirre & Speer (2000)
have all analyzed the impact prior belief systems have when it comes to the actual classroom
implementation and day-to-day decisions teachers make. It is difficult enough to address teacher
beliefs in an in-person professional development workshop, but it becomes increasingly difficult
when the learning is moved online.
Trends in online professional development

Similar to the trends of classroom learning and instruction moving toward a constructivist
approach, professional development also seems to be moving in this direction. Charlambos
Vrasidas and Michelins Zembylas (2004), for example, take this constructivist approach when
describing their framework for professional development and specifically mention applying
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constructivism and communities of practice in an online environment. Another recent study

analyzed the design and implementation of constructivist learning principals in an online
professional development course, and revealed the positive effect it had on enhancing educators’
practice (Chitanana, 2012). As more professional development opportunities are moved online to
address teachers’ busy schedules and to provide instruction on a wider variety of subjects to a
larger audience, careful design considerations need to be taken into account. Too often, in-
person workshops are offered in a traditional sit-and-get model, as opposed to a model with
educators actively participating in their learning. It is important not to simply copy this model
when moving PD online, but instead re-examine how technology can be used to create a
constructivist learning environment, improving on traditional methods of instruction and
learning.

Solution Description
Goals, Resources and Constraints
The target audience for these modules is kindergarten through fifth grade teachers in the
Sunnyvale School District. The goal is for teachers to be able to independently, and
collaboratively with their peers, design instruction and student learning that reflects concepts
learned in the online professional development learning modules, which, in this case, are the
standards for mathematical practice and select routines. Other relevant stakeholders include
students in the participating teachers’ classrooms. Ethical considerations for this project include
equitable and responsible instructional design. The concepts and content in the learning modules
will be applied with a wide range of students, therefore all types of students and learners must be
considered in its design. In order to accurately measure effectiveness of this professional
development framework, a specific math topic has been chosen for this project, based on recent
student performance data and a declared organizational need. Additional resources for the project
include: Routines for Reasoning (Creighton, Kelemanik, & Lucenta, 2016), a district elementary
math instructional coach, who serves as a content matter specialist, and a district grade-level
leadership team, who have volunteered to provide constructive feedback, interact with the
learning module, and provide grade-level content support as needed. The district culture is
supportive, and technology resources are available through Google apps for education. Time is
the only possible constraint, as the goal is for development, implementation, and evaluation to
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occur in the 2018-2019 school year. Implementation of the two-part module will take
approximately forty-five minutes for the teachers’ independent portion, completed on their own
time, and thirty minutes for the in-class activity.
Learning Objectives
There are three terminal objectives and three enabling objectives that support each
terminal objective. Both terminal objectives fall into the cognitive and affective learning
domains, since teachers are processing content and pedagogical knowledge (cognitive domain) in
addition to aligning their values and attitudes (affective domain) through implementing the
instructional strategies included in the module. Through utilizing this module, teachers are
engaging with each level of Bloom, Anderson, and Krathwohl’s (Bloom, 1956; Anderson, 2001)
cognitive domain; they are referencing their math content knowledge while applying new
instructional strategies with their students. Teachers then analyze student responses to the
outlined activities within the module, and evaluate student learning to adapt their lesson as
necessary. After the completion of the entire module, teachers will reflect on the process and
create their own module to use with their class.
Module One Objectives:
 Terminal Objective: Independently, teachers will accurately describe, in writing, the
relationship between mathematical practice standards.
o Enabling Objective: Teachers will be able to independently identify “main actor”
standards and “supporting actor” standards with 100% accuracy.
 Terminal Objective: Independently, teachers will accurately describe, in writing, the
essential elements of the Recognizing Repetition instructional routine to support
mathematical practice standards three and eight.
o Enabling Objective: Teachers will be able to independently identify and sequence
the essential elements of the Recognizing Repetition instructional routine with
100% accuracy.
Module Two Objectives:
 Terminal Objective: Teachers will be able to independently facilitate student learning of
mathematical practice standards three and eight, by implementing the Recognizing
Repetition routine, by the end of the 2018-2019 school year.
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o Enabling Objective: Using the PD module as a guide, teachers will be able to

design their own classroom activity implementing the Recognizing Repetition
routine.
Learning Theories and Strategies
Elements of Constructivism and Andragogy are the major learning theories supporting
the instructional design of the professional development modules. As the target audience for
these modules is adult professionals, and the content they will be learning is directly applicable
to their daily work scenarios, learning theories and strategies that address these concerns prove
most beneficial.
Andragogy
Andragogy is a term to describe the teaching of adult learners. This can be contrasted
with pedagogy, which is a term to describe the teaching of children. Malcolm Knowles is most
known for his work in defining this adult learning theory, and distinguishing the general
differences in which adults learn as compared to children. The basis of Knowles work lies on six
assumptions about how adults learn: the learner’s need to know, self-directed learning, prior
experiences, readiness to learn, problem solving focus, and motivation (Knowles, 1984).
These assumptions are generally summarizing adults as learners who need to know what
it is they are learning, are capable of directing their own learning path, have a wealth of life
experiences to draw upon, and are intrinsically motivated and ready to learn when they can see
the immediate application of their learning in real-life problems and situations (Knowles, Holton
III, & Swanson, 2005). The implication of these assumptions on designing online professional
development modules for teachers is that the modules should relate directly to a problem or
situation to which the learners can relate. In this case, based on an initial needs assessment, the
mathematical practice standard numbers three and eight have been chosen as the real-life context
for learning. As learners progress through the modules, they will see how their learning can be
applied directly to their own life experiences in the classroom, culminating in the actual
application of learned instructional strategies and routines with their own students.
Constructivism
The constructivist theory of learning posits that learners construct “their own
understanding and knowledge of the world through experience and reflecting upon that
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experience” (Harasim, 2007). The role of an instructional designer, in this case, would be to
create learning experiences where learners are actively involved in the creation of their own
knowledge and understanding, interacting with the learning materials, and reflecting on their new
understanding. In practice, this means offering interactive learning opportunities with
constructive feedback and opportunity to reflect.
While Constructivism as a learning theory addresses how we construct knowledge as a
learner, David Jonassen contributed further to the field by analyzing the constructivist
environment. He emphasizes having an overarching problem or question drive the construction
of knowledge, working all the learning activities around this theme. In his work, he identifies
three key components to consider in the design of this problem within the constructivist learning
environment: “the problem context, the problem representation or simulation, and the problem
manipulation space” (Jonassen, 1999).
As the problem context applies to the professional development modules, throughout the
first module, teachers will engage in different virtual scenarios that closely resemble
mathematical discussions that take place in their classrooms. All contextual information about
their learning is communicated early on, with the overarching goal of learning to foster rich
mathematical discussions and engagement in their classroom.
Jonassen writes that the second component, the problem representation, “is critical to
learner buy-in,” and can “become a story about a set of events that leads up to the problem that
needs to be resolved” (Jonassen, 1999). For this to be effective, the problem needs to be
authentic and relevant to the learner. To incorporate this element in the online learning modules
for teachers, they will be able to virtually interact with different questioning techniques that lead
to corresponding student audio responses. As participants learn different instructional strategies
for facilitating student conversation, the virtual student conversations become more robust,
building learner confidence and motivation in solving the “problem.”
The last component Jonassen (1999) mentions is the problem manipulation space. This
describes the component in the environmental design where learners are able to manipulate
something to construct their learning. Learners in this professional development module will
interact with instructional strategies and routines that provide realistic and informative feedback
in the form of student audio snippets and on-screen text. Through strategic moments throughout
the module, participants will also post responses and reflections in an online forum that is shared
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 16

with other participating learners. Through this online collaboration, they will continue to
construct their learning around the topic. This action of social participation in learning is also an
important component of many constructivist views, which hold that “collaborative groups are
important because we can test our own understanding and examine the understanding of others”
(Wilson, 1996).
Test Instruments
Throughout the first learning module, which focuses on the background knowledge of the
standard and related instructional routine, teacher-learners are presented with two short quizzes,
which include multiple choice, select all that apply, and short answer questions. Feedback on
most questions is provided immediately by the Google Form quiz, while feedback on their short
answers are provided by district instructional coaches with access to the Form. Scores on the two
embedded quizzes will determine mastery of the first module’s objectives. Google Forms is an
appropriate method of assessment for the first module as it is integrated with the Google suite
used throughout the modules. Assessment for mastery of the second module’s objectives will
include observation by an instructional coach, and review of the independently created module
by the teacher. The standards for mathematical practice needs assessment will also be used in the
future as an additional assessment tool to measure pre and post attitudes and perceptions of
knowledge and implementation of the standards.
Media and Delivery System Decisions
The first part of the training is an asynchronous, on-your-own, online learning module.
Although there are peer discussions and interactions through shared online spaces, each
participant is learning primarily on their own time. Both modules are created as separate slide
decks with non-linear interactivity for scenario-based practice opportunities. All videos and
audio included are uploaded to YouTube and embedded in the slides to minimize any distractions
or potential problems that could occur from opening new websites or software. All text and
images are embedded in the slide deck. The Google app suite is familiar to the target audience,
and uses the same login that teachers use daily to access their email. Providing assessments
through Google Quiz, a feature of Google Forms, makes data collection and analysis a seamless
process, as teachers are usually already logged in to their Google accounts on their computers,
and Google Forms will collect their email addresses as they take the quiz. The second module is
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designed to be instructor-led, and will be delivered to the class through Google Slides. All
teachers have access to projection hardware and speakers that enable them to display the slides
and accompanying videos. Both modules and any additional instructional resources are housed
on a website that will also house future modules and professional development resources for the
district.
Instructional Strategies and Activities
Constructivism is the major learning theory driving the development and design of the
online professional development modules, including instructional strategies employed during the
classroom activity portion. Research on components of effective professional development, such
as Charlambos Vrasidas and Michelins Zembylas’ framework on constructivism and interactivity
in PD (Vrasidas & Zembylas, 2004), and Kim Carter’s report on effective characteristics and
challenges in online professional development (Carter, 2004) informed additional design and
implementation decisions.
Agenda:
Module 1A & 1B: Background content and instructional routine slide decks
Topic/Task: Description: Time Frame: Resources:
Math Practice Images and an audio 5 minutes  Online article
Standards – Why are narration describe the or embedded
they important? importance of these text
standards  Video/audio
Overview of the Describes the “lead 10 minutes  embedded text
relationship between actors” and  audio/video
all the practice “supporting actors” in  Interactive
standards: 2,7,8 VS the mathematical scenario
3,4,5,6 practice standards practice
Google Forms Quiz Matching, multiple 5 minutes  Google Form
on Math Practice choice, and short self-grading
Standards answer quiz on the Quiz
standards
Collaborative Online discussion 2 minutes  Embedded
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Discussion space to share Padlet page

learning with others preloaded with
questions
Overview of the Describes overview 5 minutes  Embedded text
Recognizing and objectives of the  Audio
Repetition essential elements in
Instructional Routine this routine.
Recognizing Details each step of 15 minutes  Embedded
Repetition the routine and the audio and text
Instructional Routine rationale for the steps
Steps Defined
Recognizing Provides various 5 minutes  HTML5, CSS,
Repetition Practice practice activities to Javascript,
Opportunities interact with different jQuery-
elements of the controlled
routine interactivity
Google Forms Quiz Matching, multiple 5 minutes  Google Form
on Recognizing choice, and short self-grading
Repetition Routine answer quiz on the Quiz
routine
Collaborative Teacher responds to 5 minutes  Padlet page
Discussion questions and
interacts with peer’s
online posts
Module 2: Classroom activity and application slide deck
Introductory video 1 minute video 1 minute  Video
presents a  Projection
mathematical scenario device with
for students to discuss sound
and solve
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Introduce the Routine State objectives 5 minutes  Embedded text

Overview steps in the and teacher
routine footnotes on
the slide
Generalize Repetition Individual think time 5-7 minutes  Embedded text
Pair share and teacher
footnotes on
the slide
Discuss Individual think time 5-7 minutes  Embedded text
Generalizations Pair share and teacher
Annotate footnotes on
generalizations the slide
Concluding Video 30 second video 1 minute  Video
presents one  Teacher
conclusion to the footnotes on
mathematical the slide
scenario.
Reflect on Individual write time 10 minutes  Embedded text
Recognizing Pair Share and teacher
Repetition footnotes on
the slide

Methods and Procedures

List of Major Deliverables

 Module 1A & 1B Google Slides slide decks (Mathematical Practices Overview and
Recognizing Repetition Instructional Routine)
o Overview of the standards for mathematical practices and their relationship to
each other: retrieved from Routines for Reasoning, and reused for each grade
level, since the same standard applies to all grades. Certain non-linear Google
Slides allows for practice opportunities and feedback.
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 20

o Recognizing Repetition instructional routine overview and practice, along with

interactive practice with the content of the routine on the website.
o Audio of student discussion and narration of slides uploaded to YouTube,
embedded in Google Slides, and set to auto-play.
o Google Forms Quizzes
o Padlet Pages for collaboration: embedded on the website for each module, for
asynchronous collaboration between learners
 Module 2 Google Slides slide deck (6 slides – one for each grade level K-5)
o Introduction/Conclusion math video (6 videos – one for each grade level content
standard)
o Guiding questions for students
o Footnotes to the teacher
 Pretest/Post-tests
o Google Forms Quiz to measure teacher knowledge of standards and instructional
routine (4 total assessments – pre and post test for standards, pre and post test for
instructional routine)
Development Plan
Before initial development, the elementary math instructional coach provided guidance in
selecting content standards for each grade level, based on how they may lend themselves to
constructive student discussions described in the focus standard for mathematical practice, and
creation of the introductory video for each grade level’s class activity module. Research and
outline of the chosen instructional routine, and practice opportunities of sample student
discussions was also a collaborative process between the instructional coach and instructional
designer of the modules. Time was one of the biggest constraints, as creating the second module
tailored to each of the six target grade levels is a large task for one person. Thankfully, the first of
the two modules are applicable to all grade levels, leaving only the classroom activity module
needing to be tailored to each grade. Additionally, to speed up the process in the future,
introductory videos could be found online instead of personally crafted. As both the elementary
math instructional coach and instructional designer are paid to provide professional development
to teachers, the creation of these modules falls into their job descriptions, adding no additional
costs.
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 21

Implementation Plan
The first module is a self-guided study of instructional practices and standards, requiring
only the knowledge of how to navigate to a website and through a Google Slide deck, follow
simple instructions, and click on embedded links and videos. The second module requires the
ability to project a Google Slides presentation to students, of which all target teachers are
knowledgeable. The course requires one instructor with basic classroom management expertise,
and grade-level content knowledge. All teachers are certificated with a California teaching
credential, which implies they possess the knowledge and expertise needed to carry out the
lesson.
Challenges
One of the challenges throughout the creation of this project was determining how much
content to cover, how to segment learning into manageable pieces, and how to host all the
components. The plan was originally to host content from what is now Module 1A and Module
1B in one slide deck. After developing content for the math practices and instructional routine,
though, the slide deck became harder to navigate and contained too much information in the
same format, so it was split in two. Segmenting the learning in this way allowed for more
flexibility in the design and also allowed for more options when hosting all the materials.
Hosting all instructional materials on a website allowed for some creative use of HTML5,
Javascript, CSS, and jQuery to create interactive practice elements, as well. Presentation of
information, instructions, and assessments became much easier once the first module was
segmented and the decision to house everything on a website was made.

Resources
Resource List
Necessary resources are outlined below. All resources are readily available to the
instructional designer:
Resource Description Cost
Adobe Dreamweaver website development for FREE with CSUMB
housing modules and future
resources
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 22

Web hosting GreenGeeks/CSUMB for

district and CSUMB hosting
Google Apps Suite (Slides, Modules, content outline, FREE with CSUMB and
Docs, Forms, Drive, Gmail) communication, assessments, Sunnyvale School District
storage of documents accounts
Camtasia Video and image editing FREE with CSUMB account
Audio recorder Recording student audio FREE – using cell phone
samples
Video camera Recording instructional and FREE – already purchased by
introductory videos instructional designer
previously
Access to pilot teachers and Subject matter expert (SME) FREE – instructional designer
elementary math instructional and team for feedback and already had access to both
coach pilot testing

Technical Skills
The instructional designer has all the technical skills necessary for design and
development of this project. Throughout the MIST program and previous experience, the
instructional designer has acquired web, instructional, and multimedia design skills. Through
support from the grade level committee and elementary math instructional coach, all
instructional strategies and content development are reviewed as appropriate and effective.

Timeline
Item Description Status
Content Outline for Module Outline of instructional Completed
1 and 2 routine and math practice 3/3/18 - 3/14/18
standards as will be covered
in Module 1, which drives
the activity in Module 2
Video Creation Video intros for each grade Completed
level’s Module 2, and intro 4/16/18 – 4/20/18
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 23

to the mathematical practice

standards
Module 2 Creation Using the outline of what Completed
Module 1 will cover, create 5/1/18 - 5/14/18
Module 2 (student activity)
to ensure practicality of
classroom implementation
Presentation/Pilot of Module To test the functionality of Completed
2 the instructional routine 5/21/18 – 6/1/18
outlined for Module 1, the
classroom activity module
is tested by pilot group
(Note: if the instructional
routine Module 2 activity is
not practical in the
classroom, Module 1 would
need to be redesigned).
Feedback from Module 2 Feedback was provided at Completed
Pilot the grade-level leadership 6/6/18
team meeting about the
pilot.
Module 1 Prototype Pilot Pilot Module 1 prototype Completed
with Summer school 7/10/18
teachers.
Module 1 Storyboard With a successful classroom Completed
activity (Module 2) pilot, 9/2/2018 – 9/28/2018
and Module 1 prototype
usability test, the
storyboarding and more
final design and
development of Module 1
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 24

can commence.
Module 1 Creation All resources, content, and Completed
interactive elements of the 9/10/2018 - 9/28/2018
Google Slides Module 1 are
finalized
Website Creation Website is created for Completed
housing the professional 11/1/2018 - 11/16/2018
development modules with
any additional resources and
space for future professional
development modules
Module 1 and 2 Pilot and Usability testing and Completed
Evaluation summative evaluation of 11/20/2018-11/27-2018
completed modules and
website

Evaluation
Formative Evaluation
Formative evaluation initially occurred through a Standard for Mathematical Practices
survey (Appendix B), and a Module 2 pilot test. Along with this pilot, the instructional designer
observed implementation, and collected an implementation feedback survey (Appendix A) with
the elementary grade-level leadership team that piloted. The pilot group of teachers were
encouraged to document any changes they made while delivering the classroom activity module
(Module 2) on a copy of the slides, which helped to inform further revisions of Module 2. As
Module 2’s classroom activities were designed based off an outline the designer created for
Module 1, this initial pilot also informed the instructional designer about future design decisions
for Module 1.
After this initial Module 2 pilot, development on Module 1 began and a usability test was
conducted with a Module 1 prototype. According to the reaction survey (Appendix E) that each
learner took after the prototype pilot, the learning module was generally well received. One
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 25

hundred percent of the learners found the module either “intuitive” or “very intuitive,” despite
some of the feedback around navigation recorded in the observation notes.

Figure 1. Reaction Survey

After the usability tests development on Module 1 continued and a website to host all
instructional material and deliverables was created, and, once completed, a second group of
teachers piloted the modules in their entirety. The instructional designer annotated notes while
observing individuals navigate the final project’s website and content.
The following recommendations and changes occurred based on the reaction surveys and
observational notes:
1) Simplify text on the screen or break the content up into multiple slides
2) Improve consistency and clarity of navigation
3) Deepen learning through more complex content.
Summative Evaluation
Data from Module 1’s pre and post assessments provided information on the
effectiveness of the professional development covering instructional strategies, routines, and
mathematical practices content. Analyzing the data collected from Module 1A (Appendix C) and
Module 1B’s (Appendix D) pre and post-test informed the instructional designer on the overall
effectiveness in improving teacher’s understanding of the mathematical practice standards and
accompanying instructional routine.
The research hypothesis for both assessments was that the training would have a positive
impact on the results of the post-assessment when compared to the pre-assessment. Because of
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 26

this directional research hypothesis, a paired two-sample t-test with pre and post-assessment data
comparing the absolute values of t-stat for Module 1A and B (3.28 and 4.39 respectively) with
the one-tail t-critical values (2.13), assuming 4 degrees of freedom. Since the t-stat was greater
than the t-critical value, it was concluded that the training had a statistically significant impact,
and can therefore reject the null hypothesis and support the research hypothesis.

Figure 2. Math Practices t-test

Figure 3. Recognizing Repetition t-test

ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 27

Conclusion
As this project is ultimately a means for creating an online professional development

framework for Sunnyvale School District, the instructional designer intends on extending the

work already completed. Formative and summative evaluations showed this training and model

of professional development to be successful, which is encouraging for future work with online

professional development. With the information received from the process of creating this

capstone project, future iterations should be considerably less time-consuming and even more

effective.

One of the current limitations is the amount of time available with other subject matter

experts to build out additional professional development. Although this limitation is not major, as

there is no time limit for the creation of professional development modules, other content matter

experts’ schedules aren’t as compatible as with the math SME available for this project. Future

implementation of this project includes wider-spread use of the modules across the district,

collaboration with other SMEs to build additional professional development, and a

comprehensive website built to house all the professional development modules as they are

created.
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 28

References

Anderson, L.W., Krathwohl, D.R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A
revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Longman.
Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives, handbook I: The cognitive domain.
New York: David McKay Co Inc.
California Department of Education (2014). California Common Core State Standards
Mathematics. Retrieved from
http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/ccssmathstandardaug2013.pdf
Carter, K. (2004, May). Online training: What's really working? What does today's successful
online professional development look like? Technology & Learning, Vol. 24 (10), 32.
Retrieved from
http://go.galegroup.com.library2.csumb.edu:2048/ps/i.do?ty=as&v=2.1&u=csumb_main
&it=DIourl&s=RELEVANCE&p=AONE&qt=SN~1053-
6728~~VO~24~~SP~32~~IU~10&lm=DA~120040000&sw=w&authCount=1
Creighton, S.J., Kelemanik, G., & Lucenta, A. (2016). Routines for Reasoning: Fostering the
Mathematical Practice in All Students. Portsmouth, NH: Heinnemann.
Jonassen, D. (1999). Designing Constructivist Learning Environments. Retrieved from
https://www.savoiabenincasa.gov.it/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/1999-Jonassen.pdf
Knowles, M.S., Holton, E.F. III, & Swanson, R.A. (2005). The Adult Learner: The Definitive
Classic in Adult Education and Human Resource Development. Taylor & Francis Group.
Knowles, M. S. & Associates. (1984). Andragogy in Action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching.
Educational Researcher, 15 (2), 4–14. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org.library2.csumb.edu:2048/stable/1175860?seq=2#page_scan_tab_con
tents
Stolovitch, H.D. & Keeps, E. J. (2011). Telling Ain’t Training, 2nd Edition. Alexandria, VA:
American Society for Training & Development.
Sunnyvale School District. (2017). Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). Retrieved
from
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 29

https://www.sesd.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=2396&dataid=5
273&FileName=2017_LCAP%20Sept%2012.pdf
Vrasidas, C., Zembylas, M. (2004). Online professional development: lessons from the field.
Education + Training, Vol. 46 (6/7), 326-334.
https://doi.org/10.1108/00400910410555231
Wilson, B.G. (1996). Constructivist Learning Environments: Case Studies in Instructional
Design. New Jersey: Educational Technology Publications
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 30

Appendices

Appendix A

Module 2 Implementation Feedback

This Google Forms survey serves to inform the instructional designer about the perceived
effectiveness of Module 2. Respondents mark answers on a 1-4 scale, labeled “Strongly
Disagree” to “Strongly Agree,” based on their agreement with the following statements:
1. The videos were engaging and a good way to pique my students’ mathematical interest.
2. The videos provided tangible context to real world math application.
3. The progression of activities (independent time, think time, partner sharing, etc) supported my
students’ mathematical reasoning.
4. The learning activity supported my students in the following Standards of Mathematical
Practice: “Construct a viable argument and Critique the reasoning of others” and “Look for and
express regularity in repeated reasoning.”
5. What improvements or other feedback would you like to provide?
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 31

Appendix B

Standards for Mathematical Practices Needs Survey

This Google Forms survey was given prior to the creation of or participation in the learning
module, to determine the need for professional development around the standards of
mathematical practice, and will be given again following widespread participation in the
modules. Answers from both surveys will serve to inform the instructional designer about the
effectiveness of the module as it relates to increasing teacher knowledge and implementation of
the desired standard.
Survey questions:

Rate your overall knowledge of the standards for mathematical practices on the following scale:
1- Not very knowledgeable, 2- Somewhat knowledgeable, 3- Knowledgeable, 4- Very
Knowledgeable
1. Make sense of problems & persevere in solving them
2. Reason abstractly & quantitatively
3. Construct viable arguments & critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics
5. Use appropriate tools strategically
6. Attend to precision
7. Look for & make use of structure
8. Look for & express regularity in repeated reasoning

Rate your overall implementation of the Standards for Mathematical Practice in your instruction
and student activities on the following scale: 1- none, 2- occasional implementation, 3- weekly
implementation, 4- daily implementation.
1. Make sense of problems & persevere in solving them
2. Reason abstractly & quantitatively
3. Construct viable arguments & critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 32

5. Use appropriate tools strategically

6. Attend to precision
7. Look for & make use of structure
8. Look for & express regularity in repeated reasoning

Rate the availability of easily accessible resources to practice the integration of these standards in
your math instruction using the following scale: 1- none, 2- few, 3- some, 4- plentiful.
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 33

Appendix C

Math Practices Pre/Post-Test

ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 34
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 35

Appendix D

Recognizing Repetition Pre/Post-Test

ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 36
ONLINE LEARNING MODULES 37

Appendix E

Reaction Survey