Multimedia Design Project Assessment (MDPA) Report Template

Product URL: http://legalcannonballrun.weebly.com

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Analysis
Since the school year has not started yet, the learners with whom I will be
implementing my projects are not known. Generally, they will be a seventh grade
advanced Math 7 or on-level Math 7 class. Students in such classes would be
twelve to thirteen years of age. Most in the on-level class would be reading on a
late sixth to early eighth grade level while many in the advanced class would be
reading on a more advanced eighth grade or high school level. Few students
would be English language learners. Most would have experience working with
the internet technology and software that is required in the project. They would all
have had experience in small group learning and with project0based learning
through their sixth grade math and science classes. Demographically, the classes
would be made up of approximately 60% Caucasian students with 20% Asian,
10% African American and 10% Hispanic and Multi-Racial. These numbers are
skewed slightly higher in Asian students that the school average and lower in the
African American numbers. Approximately 10% would be eligible for free or
reduced price lunch.
Each class would be made up of at most 32 students. The class would meet for 55
minutes per day five days a week. The amount of time that the class meets each
day is set. Within the framework of the allotted class time, I would have the
flexibility change the schedule or the groupings as I seet fit.
Most work on the project would be completed in on of the three computer labs at
the school or using netbooks or iPads from a cart. These technology resources
would be bolstered by utilizing the schools Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
Policy to add additional devices for students who have their own. Access to
technology would be arranged with the media specialist in advance. Specific
special accommodations are not known, but typical accommodations for a project
of this type include a word processor with predictive spelling, a text reading
program or an electronic spell checker. All of those accommodations are provided
on every student-accessed computer in the school building.
All teachers who might implement this project are familiar and comfortable
completing such a project. My self, and the other math teachers all have
experience using word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software. While
my colleagues may not be as comfortable with designing and building webquests
as I am, they are comfortable navigating and using websites.

The Common Core Georgia Performance Standards that will be covered in the
project relate mostly to the Ratios and Proportions Unit of the seventh grade math
curriculum, and students will be working mostly with unit rates. The Ratios and
Proportions standards covered are:
MCC7.RP.1 Compute unit rates associated with ratios of fractions,
including ratios of lengths, areas and other quantities measured
in like or different units.
MCC7.RP.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships
between quantities.
Students will also be working with concepts that relate to some
of the Expressions and Equations and Rational Numbers CCGPS
standards that would have already been covered before this project began.
Those standards are:
MCC7.NS.3 Solve real-world and mathematical problems
involving the four operations with rational numbers.
MCC7.EE.3 Solve multi-step real-life and mathematical problems
posed with positive and negative rational numbers in any form
(whole numbers, fractions, and decimals), using tools
strategically. Apply properties of operations as strategies to
calculate with numbers in any form; convert between forms as
appropriate; and assess the reasonableness of answers using
mental computation and estimation strategies.
In addition to the CCGPS standards that the project will involve,
students will gain experience with the ISTE standards for
students. The collaborative and technology-infused aspects of
the project will expose students to many of the ISTE-S standards
including:
1. Creativity and Innovation
c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and
issues
2. Communication and collaboration
a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others
employing a variety of digital environments and media
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple
audiences using a variety of media and formats
d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve
problems
3. Research and information fluency
a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically

use information from a variety of sources and media

c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based
on the appropriateness to specific tasks
d. Process data and report results
4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant
questions for investigation
b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a
project
d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore
alternative solutions
5. Digital citizenship
b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that
supports collaboration, learning, and productivity
6. Technology operations an concepts
a. Understand and use technology systems
b. Select and use applications effectively and productively
c. Troubleshoot systems and applications

Learning objectives for the project surround students ability to use the concepts
of unit rate and decimals to complete real-world oriented tasks such as creating a
budget, finding the range or a vehicle on a tank of fuel given the estimated fuel
mileage and the fuel capacity, and computing the distance travelled in a given
period of time at a given speed. Specific learning objectives include:
Students will gain an understanding of the real-world uses of unit rate,
specifically miles per hour and miles per gallon.
Students will be able to use information about the fuel economy and fuel capacity
of a vehicle to calculate its range on a single tank of fuel.
Students will be able to use information about a cars speed and travel time to
calculate the distance it travelled.
Students will use their knowledge of adding, subtracting, and multiplying
decimals and fractions to compute debits, credits, and totals on a budget.
The project will also cover some dispositional objectives that the students will use
as they progress into eighth grade, high school, college and the work world. These
objectives include:
Students will be able to work as a group to plan, assign, and accomplish a
complex task.

Students will create and deliver a multimedia presentation to their classmates,

teachers, and special guests.
Students will conduct research online and communicate with one another via
digital means when not on school grounds using appropriate digital etiquette.

Design
Overview
For my multimedia project, I eventually chose to adapt a project that I
implemented with my students as a paper and pencil project in class with only
slight technology enhancement. Since the project lent itself relatively well to a
linear and sequential format such as a webquest, it made for a relatively natural
choice, but I still considered several alternatives in order to ensure that I did not
overlook a lesson that could have been made more impactful and engaging
through a webquest.
I began by making a list of the elements of a webquest and the elements of my
prior lesson. With those lists side by side, I was able to cross reference the
elements of each and place the elements of the Cannonball Run project into the
format of the webquest at the proper places to have the greatest educational
impact.
When I had an overall sketch of where each aspect of the Cannonball Run lesson
fit into a webquest, I began to focus on the storyline that I would like to
encompass the assignment and use as a hook to grab the attention of the
students. Since the inspiration for the Cannonball Run project was a news report
on a man from Atlanta who set a new record in the race, I knew that I wanted to
include a video of news clips about the feat. I used a clip that Ed Bolian, the
driver in that case created himself for publication on YouTube. Its located at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL-LJKuxfCc
I also wanted to have a challenge for the students similar to the one that is posed
in the 1981 film The Cannonball Run. Since I could not find such a video online, I
created an introduction and a conclusion myself. Since my webquest is housed on
a Weebly.com site, and video hosting is a premium service through Weebly, I
uploaded both of my videos to YouTube so that I would be able to embed them in
the Weebly pages. The videos are located at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=_jN3IgSeiRQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7QG8eol8_4
I developed the task page next. For this part, I described the overall assignment
and used the embedded maps feature of Weebly to provide a map of the starting
and ending points for the trip across the country. I also created a checklist of
features that each group could strive for as they planned their trip in order to earn
more points. These points would be compiled at the end of the trip and the group
with the most points would win a prize.

Following the storyline, I began to pull together the resources that I would like for
my students to complete in the process of completing the task. For the project, the
first step of the task that I gave to my students was to choose a vehicle for their
journey. In the past I allowed students to choose any vehicle that they wanted, but
that took up a lot of their work time for the total project, so I limited their choices
to four vehicles. I had previously completed the template that I wanted students to
complete for their vehicle choice, so I listed the four vehicle choices and uploaded
the template for them to download. I decided that this would be an opportunity to
use some of the principles of Universal Design for Learning. In order to offer
ways to customize the display of information, to offer auditory and visual
information in alternative ways, and to supply background knowledge, I identified
videos about each of the four vehicle choices on Vimeo and embedded them in the
site was well. The videos are available at: http://vimeo.com/97733484,
http://vimeo.com/86288137, http://vimeo.com/98142827, and
http://vimeo.com/84879873.
The next steps in the process were for students to create a map of their trip, a
schedule of their stops, and a budget for the trip. I created the templates for the
budget and stop schedule and uploaded those to the site. I also added links to
Google Maps and Mapquest for students to use to create their routes. The final
aspect of the process was for students to create a multimedia presentation using
Powerpoint, Prezi or a similar presentation tool. This task asked them to create
that presentation and tailor it to one of six possible sponsors. As another method
of providing alternatives for visual input, I used the image search feature of
Weebly to search for and embed photos of the logos for the six possible choices
for sponsor along with the text of their names.
The next aspect of the design was the conclusion. For the conclusion, I used the
final video that I created myself. I also posted a checklist of the points that
students could have earned on their trip.
The final aspect of the design was the teacher page on which I included a textual
description of the project, some tips for implementation and a the standards that
would be covered in the project. I also included the credits for the resources
included throughout the project on the teachers page.

Details
The project will include differentiation of content through readiness via the
different methods of presentation including text, images, and videos. This
provides different auditory and visual options for transmission of information.
Students are also provided with the option of viewing additional videos to build
their background knowledge about the concepts. The process will be
differentiated through allowing students to work in groups and employing a
flexible grouping system in which a combination of heterogeneous and
homogeneous grouping is utilized to allow students to work with peers at their

same academic level or to pair higher achieving students with lower achieving
students based on their needs for success. The process will be further
differentiated based on student choice for the order and manner in which they
complete each of the parts of the task. Students can choose to work together in
their groups on each part of the process, or they can delegate the tasks to different
members of the groups whose skills lend themselves to those aspects of the
project. This amount of choice also leads to a differentiation of product as
students will be allowed to complete the products that fit their skills and readiness
levels. Finally, the learning environment will be differentiated based on the
flexibility of the technological equipment since netbooks can be utilized in any
area of the school through the wi-fi network.
This learning experience is meant to be completed in groups of two or three as
chosen by the students. Through that design, students will be accountable for their
own learning and they will be allowed to develop their skills in collaboration and
working in groups. This work in groups allows for another aspect of Universal
Design for Learning in that provides opportunities for communication and
collaboration that will provide options to sustain effort and persistence. I included
videos as my main multimedia elements. I would have liked to include a
multimedia simulation about fuel economy, and I search for one online, but
everything that I found was a much higher level of technological intricacy than
the students who will be using this webquest.
As mentioned above, the majority of the students in these classes that would
require assistive technology for reading would utilize a word processor with word
prediction, a text reader, or an electronic spelling checker. All of those tools are
provided on the schools computer network, and students have been trained to use
them in the past. In addition, all teachers in the school have been trained on the
use of the tools and have experience using them as well.

Development
In the process of development, I began with brainstorming the topic. I then
designed the overall storyline. From a list of the elements that I wanted, I set up
the structure of the website. I then began adding details and building out the
online elements of the website. When more details were included on the website, I
became more aware of the multimedia needs, so I began search for videos and
images to enhance the online learning environment. When I had found or created
the videos that I needed, I embedded them into the proper parts of the website.
The main tool that I used in the process was the Weebly online web authoring
tool. I did not have to learn about the tool since I have used it in my classroom
and in the instructional technology program in the past. I also used YouTube and
Vimeo to search for and identify videos to be embedded. I already knew how to
use YouTube, but I had to explore Vimeo to understand the search features and the
share features to find the embed codes for the videos that I found. I also used the

camera on my iPad in conjunction with MovieMaker to create the videos that I

created for the introduction and conclusion. I did not need to learn about those
tools since video was included as a skill assignment in the multimedia and web
design course. For the embedded documents in the course, I used Microsoft Word
and Microsoft Excel. I had experience with both tools prior to completing this
project.
During each stage of development for the project, I double-checked that the links
worked correctly and that the videos that were embedded played correctly in the
places that they were embedded. I also double-checked that the documents that
were embedded for view on the site displayed correctly and that the documents
that were uploaded for students to download downloaded correctly. Even though I
completed that process for each page, I missed some links that opened in the same
page as the main webquest. My peers found those upon review and alerted me so
that I could fix them. Additionally, my student pilot testers found some spelling
and grammatical errors that I fixed.

Implementation
This project will be implemented after the initial lesson on unit rates in the Ratios
and Proportions unit for the math class. Students will be provided with six days of
class time to complete the project and two days for presentations. Students will
receive the entire class period for each of the six days with computer access in all
six. They will also be allowed and encouraged to communicate and collaborate
with one another using digital tools while they are off campus. The timeline for
the webquest is as follows:
Day One: Watch introductory videos and/or read introductory
article. Begin research car choices.
Day Two: Choose the car and write the car choice paragraph.
Day Three: Map rough route across the country, research speed
limits in each state, and begin planning for stops based on the
distance the chosen vehicle can travel on a single tank of fuel.
Begin researching fuel prices in the area of each stop.
Day Four: Continue planning stops on the route and researching
fuel prices. Research and plan needed food along the way.
Day Five: Begin pulling together all data for the presentation
including but not limited to: the paragraph for the vehicle choice,
a map of the route, a list of the locations where stops will be
made and what those stops will entail, and a budget for the trip.
Day Six: Prepare and practice presentation (including some form
of multimedia i.e. video, audio, etc.)
Day Seven and Eight: Present to class.

To implement this project, the main technology need will be access to a computer
lab, netbook cart, or iPad cart. These tools offer access to the internet and access
to all of the technological resources that students will require to complete the
process of the webquest. To arrange for access to the computer labs or carts, I will
work with the media specialist to sign up for the resources using the current
system for sign up. To manage the classroom, I will use my normal classroom
procedures that I will have had in place since the beginning of the school year. For
BYOD, students will keep their phones in view at all times, they will be allowed
to use their own devices only if they are fully charged before class, and they will
be allowed to listen to music through earbuds or headphones only during
approved times or with teacher approval.
In order to ensure equitable access to the internet, I will ensure that a computer
lab or cart is available for each class period and a device is available for each
student in the class. In order to alleviate differences in home internet access, I will
not assign any portions of the project that must be completed at home, instead
allowing students to work at home only if they wish to do so. For students without
home internet access, I will make myself available at lunch time and before and
after school in the school media center or computer lab to provide more time for
students to complete their work.

Evaluation
Student Learning
For this project, the majority of the evaluation will come as part
of the rubrics that are embedded into the site. The products that
students will complete will be worth one test grade collectively
while the final presentation will be worth one test grade. All
products will be assessed via the posted rubric. The rubric for the
products will be assessed as each product is turned in and will
serve as a form of formative assessment. The final presentation
rubric will serve as a summative assessment for the project. The
overall success of the project will be determined by the success
that students have in completing the products and the
presentation.
Product Design
As the project is implemented I will take notes on the design and especially note
the difficulties that students have. I will also have students complete an evaluation
of the project at the end to determine any mistakes still present or any areas of
difficulty in navigating the site and completing the products and presentation.
Since I was not able to complete the project with an entire class, I had two rising
eighth graders, one of whom completed the paper project last year, explore the
webquest. I asked them to look for any usability errors and to check for

understanding of the written materials and workability of the videos and

documents. Both students were teenage girls, and neither wanted to have her
photo taken, but I asked them to each e-mail me with their thoughts on the site.
Ive included their e-mails below keeping spelling and grammar mistakes intact.
From Evelyn:
hi mr smith i looked through everything and i could understand
the general idea and i could read the articles and directions fine.
i think this would have been a fun way to learn about unit rates.
oh and you spelled battery wrong on the first line of the task
page:)

From Hannah:
Hi Mr Smith. This looked like a good way to do the connonball run
project. I think i would of liked this way better than the way we
did it in class. I understood the directions, but a lot of the links
took me away from the main pages. I wish we could choose from
more cars like we did in class but I liked having videos about the
choices. I dont tink I would have wanted to do a presentation to
the class though.

Reflection
As I mentioned above, as I brainstormed my topics, I chose a
topic and a lesson activity that fit well with the structure and
layout of a webquest. I think that making a conscious choice to
use a webquest for a project that fits the structure in this manner
is a major plus in the development process. If I had tried to force
a project that did not fit the structure into this project, I would
have had less success in creating the webquest, and it would not
have the potential impact that this one has.
As a structure for student learning, I like the idea of a webquest. I
was apprehensive at first about learning and creating webquests,
but throughout the course, I gained a better understanding of
webquests and the possibilties for their use. I had the mistaken
conception that a webquest could not be sophisticated or
unpredictable and that students would follow links from one
textual source to another. This course gave me the

understanding of a webquest as a tool that allows students to

discover information on their own with guidance from the
teacher to allow students to explore while staying on the right
track. In my mind, the webquest allows teachers to
designimpactful problem or project-based learning activities.
Perhaps the most important lesson that I learned about myself
through the course of this project is a weakness that I have. That
is in my use of differentiation and universal design for learning. I
tend to focus a lot of my energies on the creation and learning
aspects of the project, and I try to force differentiation into the
lesson as an afterthought. I need to use the knowledge and skills
of assistive technology, universal design and differentiation that I
gained from this course to begin considering differentiation
during the planning stages of lesson and project design to better
integrate it into the projects and lessons and to improve student
learning outcomes.
One aspect of a webquest or problem or project-based learning
activity that many teachers balk at is a time commitment. I
would advise them that the upfront time commitment is a
worthwhile investment based on the ease of implementation in
the classroom and the levels of engagement and ownership for
students. I would also recommend that teachers ensure plenty of
time for design of their webquests and that they have peers or
students proofread and usability test the sites prior to final
publication to ensure no issues. Finally, I would suggest that
other teachers should anticipate issues with the technology used
and prepare troubleshooting steps to solve those problems with
limited loss of instructional time.