Week 5 Augmented Learning

I created a document with a series of QR codes that students can scan to access various resources that will build their understanding of political ideology and political parties in the United States.  My plan is to post the different sections of the document around the room at different stations.  Students will read the objective, read the directions, and then scan the code.  After accessing the resource students will answer the question/follow the directions described on the document.

Link to Assignment

Political Parties and Ideology

Segment Title	Learning Objective - The learner will...	Directions	QR Code
Introducing Political Ideology	TLW be able to place different political ideologies on a political spectrum and describe key features of each ideology.	Please visit the website linked to the QR code.  Read over the chart on the main page (you may need to click on the image to zoom in).  In your Cornell Notes please briefly describe each political ideology represented in 4-5 sentences.
A Brief History of the Republican Party	TLW analyze the historic roots of the modern Republican party and be able to explain the major issues that defined the Republican party in different eras.	Please scan the QR code and answer the following questions in your Cornell Notes.   What issue shaped the Republican party of the 1860s? What issue defined the Republican party from 1880s through the Great Depression? How did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 lead to realignment of voter bases within the Republican party? How did immigration lead to a split in the Republican party leading up to the 2016 election?
A Brief History of the Democratic Party	TLW analyze the historic roots of the Democratic Party and be able to explain the major issues that defined the Democratic party in different eras.	Please scan the QR code and answer the following questions in your Cornell Notes. What issues define the Democratic party today? Did Andrew Jackson and the Democratic party represent the common man or the elite class? Explain. What was defining issue for Southern Democrats from the 1840s through 1960s?  What changed in 1964? How did FDR change the Democratic party into the party of “big government”?
What Political Ideology Are You?	TLW be able to identify the defining issues of each ideology and describe why he/she identifies with a political ideology.	Please choose from any of the three (you may use all three if you like) political ideology quizzes linked to the QR codes on the right.  Then answer the following questions in your Cornell Notes. What political ideology best describes you?  Why do you think this is the case? What do you think are the defining issues of each political ideology?
Applying your Knowledge to Campaign Commercials	TLW use their knowledge of different political ideologies to categorize historic campaign commercials as either being liberal or conservative.	Please watch the three campaign commercials linked in the QR codes to the right.  For each commercial please identify as either conservative or liberal and then explain in 2-3 sentences why you believe this to be the case.  Use specifics from the commercial to illustrate your point.

Each section has a unique focus and learning objective with a resource and guiding questions to help the student achieve that learning objective.  Students are able to learn at their own pace and are able to review the materials to whatever extent is needed.  This fits with multi-media principles outlined in week one as well as the concept of differentiation.  Students can work at their own pace and can review materials as many times as needed.  I also have included guiding questions to help them pick out the key ideas and concepts from each resource.

Using augmented learning artifacts in the classroom is labor intensive, but can offer a unique tool for instruction.  Instead of a teacher-centered model where students passively absorb information from a stationary physical position, I can use QR codes to get students moving around and interacting with a variety of different electronic resources.  This type of tool also allows me to slowly scaffold lessons for learners of different abilities.

I am also excited about the possibilities this presents for student creation of artifacts.  Students could be assigned a topic and would be responsible for compiling resources that their classmates could easily access using their devices.  

I frequently use "job fair" or "speed dating" formats for student presentations/sharing of information.  However, in the future I could have students create a brief audio or video presentation of their information linked to a QR code either on their poster, presentation, or project.  Students could peruse the room at their own pace listening to the presentations on their devices.  This frees up students to move around and access other presentations as opposed to sitting giving the same presentation 5-6 times.