The Adventures of Jasper Woodbury is a series of six videodiscs from the Optical Data Corporation. Each disc contains a story that includes embedded mathematical data and ends with a problem that students must use the data to solve. This series came about as a result of the "Jasper Experiment" conducted by the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt University in 1989. In this experiment, two groups of students read passages containing technical information. The first group was asked to remember as much as they could from the passage. The second group was asked to read the text as if they were planning a trip down the Amazon River. The first group was able to recall only vague information about what they had read, whereas the second group was able to remember details from the text.
This experiment demonstrated the effect of contextualized learning, in which information is presented in a natural environment rather than in isolation.
The Cognition and Technology Group built the Jasper series around this concept. Each episode is a realistic story that culminates in a mathematical challenge. Along the way, students listen for relevant clues that will help solve the challenge. A typical use of the program is to watch the entire episode as a whole group one day, then summarize the story. On the second day students might take steps toward solving the challenge, which involves identifying and solving a series of subproblems. Students generally work in small groups during this phase, and use a variety of resources, including their math books, calculators, the videodisc, and the help of their teacher. The teacher may introduce "analogous problems," which are included on the disc. These problems use the same kind of strategies needed to solve the subproblems, and can be used to reinforce math skills. The student groups take turns presenting their plans and solutions to the class, then watch the solution on the videodisc as a culminating activity.
There are three components to the series, Trip Planning (incorporating distance, rate, and time), Business Planning (incorporating statistics), and Way Finding (incorporating geometry). While the focus of the series is on mathematical principles, each episode integrates other subjects, such as language arts (in the form of dialogue, vocabulary, and character development), and history (such as reference to the flight of Charles Lindbergh).
The Jasper Woodbury series is an example of instructional media using a constructive approach to learning. Traditionally, prepackaged instructional materials have taken an instructive approach, being used to present information that is to be passively received. The Jasper series presents a refreshing alternative to didactic instruction, and proves that video instruction can be used to promote open-ended discussion and discovery.
Instructional Design and Teaching Strategies
The Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992) employed a model called "anchored instruction" in the creation of the Jasper series. In this design model, "instruction is situated in engaging, problem-rich environments that allow sustained exploration by students and teachers" (p. 65). Students learn by actively participating in the experience, and solving complex problems. This ties in with the goals of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, which has emphasized a curriculum of complex, open-ended problem solving. The NCTM has also recommended that students use cooperative problem solving strategies and discussion in the math curriculum. The Jasper series is designed to include opportunities for cooperative learning, especially during the challenge activities.
Even though the Jasper materials have been designed to make use of anchored instruction and cooperative learning, the authors make the point that the teaching philosophies and strategies employed by the teacher greatly influence the effectiveness of the design model. Teaching strategies range from direct instruction ("basics first") to guided inquiry. Teachers vary in the amount of guidance or "scaffolding" they provide to students, and, as such, affect the extent to which students learn to be independent. The Cognition and Technology Group continues to study these different models of instruction.
Other Examples of the Contructivist Approach
While I've known about the Jasper series for a number of years, I've never used it in my classroom. I have, however, used similar products that adhere to the same philosophy of embedded data design. I used The Wonderful Problems of Fizz and Martina from Tom Snyder Productions, which is also a videodisc containing episodes with mathematical clues and dilemmas. Fizz and Martina are animated characters in a cartoon format, and the program comes with comprehensive student handbooks that help guide the students while they listen to the stories.
Tom Snyder Productions also publishes The Great Ocean Rescue and The Great Solar System Rescue, both of which are videodiscs that present scientific problems. Students need to use information in their handbooks to research the problems, then make informed decisions about how to execute a rescue plan. Another favorite title in this genre is the Science Sleuth series, by Videodiscovery. In this series, students are a given a mystery, and must use the clues embedded in the story, as well as scientific experiments, to solve the mystery.
Implications for Media Selection
The fact that "canned" educational programs are now using a constructivist, contextualized approach adds a new dimension to the selection procedure. In addition to existing considerations for media selection, such as feedback, opportunities for practice, and motivation, now administrators can and should consider the approach to instruction (constructivist or instructivist), and the opportunities for cooperative learning. The Jasper series and like minded media have proven that video instruction can be an effective means for constructing as well as presenting information.
Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992) The Jasper Experiment: an exploration of issues in learning and instructional design. Educational Technology Research and Development, 40 (1), 65-80.
Online
The Adventures of Jasper Woodbury
http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/projects/funded/jasper/
Education Week on the Web "Learning with Jasper" http://www.edweek.com/ew/vol-15/17jasper.h15
Tom Snyder Productions Educational Software
http://www.teachtsp2.com/
Videodiscovery
http://www.videodiscovery.com/