While reading the articles for both of these module designs I found myself sometimes thinking my class had a lot of these components and other times, I didn’t think my classes had either. The biggest common foundation for both of these modules is the fact that they are both “distance” education to an extent. Students are held more accountable for their own learning in both of these modules. However, these modules have some very different ideas as well. While I was reading, I found I was able to understand the PSI module better since a majority of my classes have followed this format. A Personalized System of Instruction allows students to master topics one at a time since they are broken down into grouped chunks. Most courses set up on Moodle follow this set up. Every week my work is broken down into a certain topic or objective, and I am expected to complete and master that week before I can move onto the next. On the other hand, the A-T Method is something I am not familiar with. The biggest difference I find from this method is the fact that there are manipulatives that students need to get in order to complete the assignment. I also find it interesting that the instructor or TA are available in a “learning center” to provide support.
During reading, I realized that both of these modules have advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage of both of these modules is the fact that students can work when it is more convenient for them. One of the other biggest advantages to the A-T method is the fact that students who are more advanced don’t have to sit and re-learn material they already know and students who struggle can have more focused instruction. However, there are disadvantages for this method as well. One of the biggest disadvantages I see, from a teaching perspective, is the amount of time it would take to set everything up for this module. Likewise, PSI has it advantages and disadvantages as well. One of the biggest flaws I noticed for PSI is the fact that it requires very basic level thinking. I suppose teachers could alter their PSI’s to contain higher-order thinking especially for enrichment activities but it isn’t something that is necessarily built in. One of the advantages of PSI, in my opinion, is the way there is immediate feedback and students can track their grades and progress.
After comparing the two models of instruction, I feel I would be more inclined to try and create a PSI for my class. I think PSI would be more appropriate for a 5th grade class, especially mine since they are lower level. I also feel I’d be more likely to create a PSI because it is something I could build using Moodle, which is the platform for Union County Public Schools. I think if I created a PSI for my class, I’d be able to add enrichment activities as well as enrichment activities so I could reach all of my students. I also think PSI would be easier to modify over the years so I can change it around depending on feedback and the current students in my class.
There are a lot of web-based tools that I feel could be either included in a module or altered to make it fit. Personally, I feel that screen-sharing software or Skype are two of the biggest that could be used, especially with the AT Method. I also think that quiz generators could be used in the PSI module to help track grades for the instructor. I also think PDF files and Google docs are a good way to share articles, readings, or findings when using the PSI module. The following are links to available web-tools that would work for these modules.
