Strategically justified the role of the digital artefact

The Cross Stage Worimi Conservation Lands Ecosystem Study (CSWCLES) draws its structure and content from the Quality Teaching model and meets several of its elements. The nature of the lessons encourages discussion amongst the students, often asking a question and allowing the students to ‘run with it’. An example of this is the “Why is local important?” slide from the first lesson. This slide asks for students to draw on previous knowledge and discuss and record reasons why using a local ecosystem is a benefit to their understanding. This is just one instance that draws on the element substantive communication.

Students are asked to explore the social and cultural values associated with the Worimi Conservation Lands. This topic allows students to examine the different perspectives of different people. By exploring several ideas of the same location, students are taught that knowledge is not absolute and answers truly are a matter of perspective. This topic meets the element problematic knowledge.

The CSWCLES aims to keep students engaged in the subject by using discussion, multimedia and micro-tasks – for example, the “find a photo task”. Direct instruction is used to transmit information; however these periods of the lesson are regularly broken up with tasks and discussion to maintain interest from the students. This is an example of how this lesson meets the engagement element.

The fieldwork section of this task allows students to gather information of their choosing. During this time no student is told what they should take a photo of, or what information to write down however teaching staff are there to guide them. The webquest design process is also largely the student’s responsibility. They are given the tools and knowledge to complete the task, however it is expected that the students will self-manage the research and construction of the webquest document. By placing the responsibility on the student these tasks meet the element student self-regulation.

The assessable component of the CSWCLES, the webquest, allows students to create a document that will be used by a stage 3 class. This provides a connection to the real world and not just provides an assessment for assessments sake. This meets the element connectedness.