Trudy McCarthy
Author
Trudy A. McCarthy
Affiliation
Memorial University of Newfoundland in association with Cape Breton University / Graduate Student
Abstract
This document addresses the need for Canadian K-12 educators to take a step back and ensure they are referencing both a model of ID and learning theory as they navigate a rapid transition to online learning during the 2020 COVID – 19 crises. Although the first instinct of many educators is to provide curricular based assignments and assessments as quickly as possible, it is not the best course of action under the immense pressures of social distancing and a transition, without warning, to online learning. Therefore, it is within a teacher’s best interest to use ID, in a modified form, to guide their choices in creating a safe and caring learning environment online for their students. Thus, the purpose of this document is to familiarize educators with the Dick and Carey model of ID and encourage its use, from a Constructionist learning perspective, to utilize gamification as a strategy for the rapid implementation of global K-12 online learning, to ease the pressures of the COVID – 19 crises.
Keywords
Instructional Design, Dick and Carey Model, Constructivist, Constructionist, Learning Theory, K-12, Online Instruction, Technology, Gamification, COVID – 19
Overview
Canadian K-12 Educators: A rapid transition to online learning during COVID -19 (03:07)
Introduction
As 2020 enters the end of its third month, the world is confronting a reality never faced by modern society; a pandemic, COVID – 19, that is uncontrollable, even with modern medicine. Daily, countries are closing their borders, and people are dying by the hundreds, communities are distancing themselves and imposing mandatory quarantines using non-compliance laws, as businesses close with only essential services remaining open. Also, to further the efforts of social distancing, the Canadian K-12 education system has decided to close and mandate, within two weeks, a rapid transition to online learning, which has become a tremendous undertaking in the creation of Instructional Design (ID).
When facing a limited time frame, like the current Canadian K-12 education system is, educators need to take pause and reference both a model of ID and learning theory as they navigate a rapid transition to online learning. Even though there is not enough time to follow the steps required by ID models, their principals, combined with learning theory, can inform design choices and align online instruction with teacher philosophies. Therefore, the focus of this document will be to familiarize educators with the Dick and Carey model of ID and encourage its use, from a Constructionist learning perspective, to utilize gamification as a strategy for the rapid implementation of global K-12 online learning.
Literature Review
According to Snow (2020), the creation and implementation of ID, under ‘normal’ circumstances, is a lengthy process consisting of many