Kelly Watson

Sample Online Courses

The culminating material for my masters coursework was a complete LMS, built from top to bottom through several iterations. I have screenshots and more regarding my work, but you can check it out yourself below.

For a more immersive experience, view the course using the link below and input the class code: dpiz2ehc

https://classroom.google.com/c/ODczMTU3NDk1NzU0?cjc=dpiz2ehc

The Challenge

Students entering the IB Diploma Programme’s Language and Literature course often struggle with the higher-order, global, and contextual thinking it requires. Middle years sophomores needed structured practice with that thinking before they reached the Diploma Programme.

The Process

I used backward design, starting from the final task: a concept map where students state an argument, choose two texts that make it, and show where those texts’ authorial choices intersect. Every module builds a skill that map requires.

Module 1 Foundations of IB Thinking: introduces IB concepts as lenses for analysis.
Module 2 Engaging in IB-Thought through Textual Analysis: ends with a formative where students create a visual text that communicates a message through authorial choices.
Module 3 Synthesis of IB-Thought through Text: turns that formative into the start of the summative. In the discussion, each student adds a branch to a classmate’s concept map using a different text with the same message. The original student then decides whether to build on it while completing their own map.

I built the course in Google Classroom over several iterations. It includes a course introduction, a module directory, weekly scheduled materials, and a Q+A board, so learners always know where to find content and where to ask for help.

The Results

The result is a complete three-module asynchronous course where each assessment feeds the next. The formative becomes the first draft of the summative, and peer input is part of how that summative gets built. The next step is piloting it with sophomores and revising based on their concept maps.

Course Screenshots

Google Classroom course home screen showing the Stream — Course home screen (Stream): the first view learners see when they enter the course.

Course introduction page in Google Classroom — Course introduction page, which orients learners before Module 1.

Course introduction materials — Course introduction.

Classwork page with all three course modules expanded — Classwork view with all two of three modules expanded, showing how materials, activities, and assessments are sequenced.

Course Q and A board — Q+A board where learners can ask questions about the course.

Module 2 formative assessment assignment in Google Classroom — Module 2 formative assessment: students create a visual text that communicates a message through authorial choices.

Module 3 discussion prompt for pre-building a classmate's concept map — Module 3 discussion: each student adds a branch to a classmate’s concept map before the summative.

Concept map template for the Module 3 summative assessment — Module 3 summative, Part I: the concept map template students complete.