GeoGebra Quality Criteria for Dynamic Worksheets Markus & Judith Hohenwarter www.geogebra.org

Design Principles for Multimedia by Richard Mayer (2001) Multimedia Principle use words and graphics rather than words alone Contiguity Principle place corresponding words & graphics near each other Coherence Principle adding ‘interesting’ material can hurt learning Personalization Principle use conversational style and virtual coaches Learner Control Principle use learner control for learners with high prior knowledge or high metacognitive skills Clark, R.; Mayer, R.E.: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction. San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 2002.

Multimedia Principle – use words and graphics rather than words alone Several empirical studies showed that the usage of text in combination with graphics can lead to better learning success than text alone Example A parallelogram is a four-sided plane figure that has two sets of opposite parallel sides.

Contiguity Principle – place corresponding words and graphics near each other Examples Mouse over / roll over – pop-up texts appears when moving the mouse over a graphic Integration of text into a graphic Place text next to the corresponding graphic – provide descriptive texts as clearly arranged lists

Coherence Principle – adding interesting material can hurt learning When things have to be made interesting, it is because interest itself is wanting. Moreover, the phrase is a misnomer. The thing, the object, is no more interesting than it was before. Dewey, J.: Interest and effort in education. Cambridge, MA : Houghton Mifflin, 1913.

Coherence Principle – adding interesting material can hurt learning Entertaining stories (without connection to the content) Decorative graphics Background music and graphics Sound effects Note: Use these things very carefully!

Personalization Principle – use conversational style … Use conversational rather than formal style Address the students directly Use “you” in your descriptions and assignments Why? Text is easier to understand Students will work harder at the assignments when they feel like being a dialog partner Students will have more learning success

Learner Control Principle – use learner control for learners… Allow your students to choose (if possible) Order of problems Setting the pace Additional support (exercises, definitions,…) Learner control is adequate … … if learners have high prior knowledge … for contents at the end of a course … if learners have high metacognitive skills … if the content is easy to understand

Examples for Dynamic Worksheets What is wrong with these dynamic worksheets? Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Static construction Tasks are not clear, questions too general No explanation of the construction Avoid static text in construction Text not fixed Tasks not connected to the dynamic construction

Examples for Dynamic Worksheets What is wrong with these dynamic worksheets? Example 5 Example 6 Example 7 Too much text Worksheet too long for one screen Too many questions on one worksheet Applet cluttered with objects Text / sliders not fixed Applet too big

Design Guidelines Dynamic construction Allow as much dynamic variation as possible! The size of the applet matters! It should be… … big enough to allow discoveries … small enough to fit on screen … small enough to leave space for explanations and tasks Example: Rotated Point Practice (by Guy Barmoha)

Design Guidelines Text Use as little text as possible - every word counts! Convention On top of the construction Short explanation of what this page is about Short description of the dynamic construction Below the construction Tasks and assignments Instructions like "move point A" are part of the tasks Example: Adding Integers on the Real Number Line (by Megan Yanes)

Design Guidelines Tasks and assignments Limited number of questions on one worksheet About 1 to 3 questions per worksheet More questions should be broken up into several worksheets Solutions or information for other teachers Should not be part of the worksheet Add a .pdf document that describes your ideas Explain new terms (e.g. "congruent") by giving examples related to the construction

Design Guidelines If a worksheet is just for presentation by a teacher… It might be better to have no tasks or questions on it If you have texts there they have to be clear for students. General layout All contents (text & construction) should fit on one screen Students should not have to scroll between the task explanations and the construction Take 1024x768 pixel or 1280x1024 pixel as the usual screen size Tip: use tables in NVU to achieve this Example: Area of a Rhombus (by Barbara Perez)

Design Guidelines Tasks / assignments Constructions Make clear what the students should do Avoid questions like "What is always true?" Should the answer to a question be written down on paper? If yes, say so on the worksheet or at least in accompanying material (e.g. lesson plan). Constructions Fix texts and slider positions When a worksheet is opened you should be able to read all labels (i.e. a point label should not be intersected by a line)

Providing Dynamic Worksheets Provide all files of your dynamic worksheet .html, .ggb, .jar files Internet, CD, USB drive,... Student opens html file with a web browser Requirements on student‘s computer: Web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) Java 1.4.2 or later (free download from www.java.com) Note: Your students do NOT need GeoGebra to use dynamic worksheets