LearningDesign:Create Box Plot in OO Calc 3

Clarification of aims
The aim of this tutorial is to provide instructions for and practice in creating box plot charts in OpenOffice Calc 3.

Ensuring learners drive your design
Who are the learners/users/target audience?

This tutorial is designed for users who
 * can use a spreadsheet at least at a beginning level, although it is not necessary to have used OpenOffice Calc in particular.
 * can draw a box plot, given the 5-number summary (min, Q1, median, Q3, max) of a distribution.

Generally speaking, users will be adolescents and adults.

What are the particular needs of this group?

Users are interested in using a simple-to-learn, free software program to create a visually-pleasing box plot. OpenOffice Calc meets all three requirements. Users are likely interested in a short tutorial that they can access when their work requires creating a box plot and they don't know or have forgotten how to do it.

How are their needs going to be catered for in the design of your resource?

The tutorial will be concise with only one practice exercise and no self-assessment. Rather than including instruction on what a box plot is, the tutorial will refer users to separate instructional materials.

''What is the situation in which most learners will use this resource? For example will they have access to computers, the internet, or will they need printed versions of materials?''

All users will have access to a computer, although not necessarily to the internet. Some users may find it helpful to print the tutorial for use when creating additional box plots.

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Learning activity
''What are the overall learning goals/objectives for this resource or course? What changes do we want learners to show as a result of using the resource?''

After completing this tutorial, learners will be able to create box plots in OpenOffice Calc 3.

What types of learning activities are learners going to need to DO to achieve the learning goals?

How are we going to check that learners have achieved what they set out to?

After reading through the instructions for how to create a box plot, learners will create side-by-side box plots using a dataset provided.

What feedback will learners need to receive to know how they are going?

Learners will be have access to an image of a completed plot for comparison with their plot.

How are learners going to communicate with each other and ‘teachers’ while they work through the resource?

This tutorial is for independent use, not sure how to answer this question (although there may be instances when learners have trouble getting it to work correctly). Maybe there's a live online resource that could be helpful.

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Learning resources
What relevant resources and tools already exist that learners can use?

I've not found any Calc 3 tutorials on how to use a spreadsheet, let alone how to create a box plot. There is a macro available that will create the plot automatically.

What, if any, new resources need to be created?

Users need clear instructions and a practice activity.

How should these resources be used?

Generally speaking, independently.

What opportunities can we build in to encourage learners to discover and share their own resources?

Not sure.

What support will learners need?

Likely none, although support may be needed in some instances. Not sure how to provide it.

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Teaching and learning approach
What philosophies or approaches underpin what we want to achieve?

Not sure, I will look to study these more thoroughly

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Using the materials
How do we recommend this resource be used?

Indendently when a learner needs to create a box plot, but doesn't know how.

Useful links

Evaluating the materials
What feedback would you like about the resource you have created?

Actual learners use the tutorial and comment on its effectiveness

How are you going to get this and when?

A group of adolescents are scheduled to begin an online course in introductory statistics (using OpenOffice Calc in the included activities) beginning Sept 09. They may well need this tutorial. I can survey their opinions on effectiveness following that use.