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Interactive Curriculum Development
Vol.12, No. 1, Summer 2001
How did STC/MS program developers keep in touch with the 55
teachers field-testing their modules in 19 states? Through e-mail,
phone calls, online evaluation forms, and an electronic bulletin
board.
Tied in to the NSRC�s Web site, the electronic bulletin board
allowed the field-test teachers to post and respond to issues that
came up during field-testing. The teachers could ask questions about
the lessons, share their experiences with other field-test teachers,
update the NSRC on their progress, and report on how well the
materials were working. Developer Carol O�Donnell calls it
"interactive curriculum development." "Because
field-testing is such a big task," she says, "we wanted the
field-test teachers to know that all of us were there to support each
other."
The bulletin board wasn�t the only ongoing interactive device in
use during field test. Evaluation forms that addressed specific
questions about the concepts, inquiries, assessments, and equipment in
each lesson were also posted online. The developers responded to the
teachers� online evaluations immediately, answering questions and
addressing concerns. Although similar forms were used in the past,
they used to be mailed out to the field-test teachers. Having them
online and so easily accessible resulted in more responses, according
to STC/MS Director Kitty Lou Smith. And, when it comes to
field-testing, the more responses and feedback the developers receive,
the better the end product is likely to be!
�F. A.
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