Module and Template Overview

To help developers fulfill Project Links mission, an overview of what we mean by a learning module, and a description of our template is essential. This section includes:

Module Descriptiontop of page

A module is a conceptual unit which, for Project Links, is designed to be used in at least two courses: one math course and one non-math course. The classroom environment is such that students are sitting at computers, and a mentor (professor, instructor, TA) is accessible to the students. Students may be seated individually at computers, or they may be paired or grouped. If questions or activities inside the module have any specific requirements, they should be stated (e.g., "For this exercise, pair up with a classmate and ....").

Module characteristics include:

  • Use in two classes, math and non-math
  • Likely to be applications-based (e.g., based on some real-world example)
  • Pedagogy supports "guided discovery": students expected to be challenged, discover concepts
  • Built of smaller components: module "pages" (eg, HTML pages), concept pages, and applets.
  • Links as appropriate to other Project Links modules, concept pages, etc, as well as links to materials outside the project.

Module pieces include:

  • Interactive web-based materials
  • Instructor Support Material: Manual and Student Handouts/Worksheets
  • Metadata (abstract, authors, technical requirements, etc.)

Links Templatetop of page

Before moving on to the Navigation Overview, a peek at the Links template and/or the Drag Forces module (to see the template in action) will help put the explanation into perspective.

The frame on the left-hand side of the screen is referred to as the "Side Navigation Bar" (for side navigation bar), and the bar along the top of the page is our "Functional Navigation Bar" (for functional navigation bar)--with categories of "Concepts", "Discover", "Applications", "Collaborate" and "Practice". Use of the two navigation bars is explained below.

Adhering to a template serves a number of purposes:

Information about Links directory structure and template details can be found in the HTML Primer for Links programmers.

Links Navigation Overviewtop of page

Two types of navigation are at work in a Links module: Content navigation and Functional navigation. In a nutshell, the content navigation represents the concepts you want students to learn in each section of the module, whereas functional navigation represents the activities you want students to do in each section of the module.

The Side Navigation Bar contains the content navigation, and can be thought of as the module's table of contents. The Functional Navigation Bar contains links to activities pages for each concept contained in the module. An explanation of the type of information on each page follows.

Concept Pages

A concept page helps students understand one specific concept such as moment, moment arm, gauss-jordan elimination, solving 2nd order differential equations, etc. It is useful and economical to build a concept page so that other Links developers can link to it. For example, a "Solving 2nd Order Differential Equations" concept page could be linked by both a Spring Mass Module as well as an Electrical Circuits Module (among many other possibilities).

In contrast, if your concept is buried inside a module page, then it becomes rather difficult for another developer to link to just that concept enabling them to put it into some other context.

Discover Pages

A discover page provides an activity that illustrates a concept. A video of a laboratory experiment, an interactive applet, or a set of experimental data for interpretation are just a few examples of what might go on a discover page. Again, discover activities are pieces of a module that might be useful to another Links developer, giving them an opportunity to present the same information in a different context.

Applications Pages

An applications page should contain, you guessed it, some sort of application of the concept being presented. Often, real-world examples work well on these pages: videos, animations, images and explanation of an actual use of the concept are one approach; interactive applets applying experimental data or different parameters are another approach to using an applications page.

Collaborate Pages

Collaborate pages provide a venue for discussion questions, where students are able to discuss topics with classmates, or given a challenging "thought question" to ponder outside of class.

Practice Pages

Practice pages provide an opportunity for homework-type problems, giving the students a chance to apply what they've learned in the lesson. These questions don't necessarily have to be assigned as homework, but often some sort of paper-and-pencil questions help reinforce the main concepts of the module. Some developers choose to give a few paper-and-pencil questions with each concept, whereas other developers choose to use practice problems in a Summary section at the end of the module.

Using Content and Functional Navigation

The Side Navigation Bar, or Content navigation, is the modules' table of contents, representing the concepts students should learn from the module. Each item in the Side Navigation Bar should have a "Concepts" page that either presents a key equation, concept, or outline of goals for that section. The other Functional categories ("Discover", "Applications", "Collaborate", and "Practice") for that particular concept are linked from that "Concepts" page. For example, a Summary section might use the "Concepts" page to review key equations in a bulleted list before directing students to activity pages that apply those concepts.

Often, an item in the Side Navigation Bar will link directly to a Functional Navigation Bar "Concepts" page; although, on occasion it is more instructive for students to first answer discussion questions on a "Collaborate" page or work through an applet on a "Discover" page, for example, that leads into the presentation of the concept itself on a "Concepts" page. In those cases, it makes sense to link the Side Navigation Bar item directly to the "Collaborate" page, then instruct students to work through the "Discover" page before going on to the "Concepts" page (remember, there will be a mentor in the classroom to help keep students on track). It is essential, however, that a "Concepts" page exist for each item in the Side Navigation Bar, regardless of the sequence in which it is presented.

Not every concept in a module will lend itself well to a lot of interactivity, so don't expect to create a cadre of applets or animations for every section of your module. Our aim, however, is to use at least one other functionality with each "Concept" page, whether it be discussion questions in a "Collaborate" page, or homework-type problems on a "Practice" page, or a brief description and link to a real-world example in the "Applications" page.

Further description and examples

In addition, the Module Development Questionnaire provides questions to think about when adapting your content for a Links module.

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